Accountability for Crimes of International Law in Canada: an overview and a comparison with United Kingdom practices

Abstract

This paper presents a general overview of the principal legal steps taken by Canada in moving from a culture of impunity to a culture of accountability in the field of crimes against International Law1, and undertakes a comparative study of practices in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) in this field. The paper deals primarily with the prosecution in these States of those suspected of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide when the suspects are originally from other countries and commit these crimes in other States. I argue that after a period of impunity, both countries have entered a new era of accountability, which can be traced to the beginning of the XXI century and the implementation of the Rome Statute of 1998.3 However, given the close link between mounting social and political pressure and the prosecution of suspected war criminals, as both countries’ past practices show, the current legal response represents little more than an initial step.