This thesis seeks to answer the principal question as to whether international criminal justice systems can serve as adequate truth-ascertaining forums. In doing so, it reviews the practice of three international criminal justice systems: the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is not the purpose of this research to review the black letter law adopted and applied by these international tribunals and court, but rather to review the implementation of the legal principles in practice. It is a socio-legal research project which focuses on the practice of the tribunals and court. It discusses socio-legal, institutional and political issues relating to the ascertainment of the truth in international criminal justice. In addition, it examines the gaps between the theory and practice of ascertaining the truth in the ICTY, ICTR and ICC. It does so principally by exploring the roles of the parties, participants and judges in ascertaining the truth. This includes the obstacles they face in doing so and the responses given, if any, to accommodate these difficulties. Challenges include the politicised climate of most post-conflict societies, the remoteness of the crime base areas from the seat of the Court, the lack of enforcement mechanisms and reliance on State cooperation, as well as the unfamiliarities with the cultural and linguistic features of the affected communities. This thesis reveals that these difficulties are not the principal cause of truth-searching impediments. Indeed, it is asserted that the ascertainment of the truth can be fair and effective notwithstanding these difficulties. It also demonstrates that truth-ascertaining impediments are mainly caused by failures to adequately investigate the crimes and relevant evidence. At the ICTY, investigations have been carried out in the most efficient and fair manner possible under the circumstances. By contrast, the ICTR and ICC investigations are far from adequate and should be improved. The Prosecution should make more efforts to obtain the best evidence available. It further concludes that international justice systems have set their goals too highly. Instead of seeking to meet objectives such as reconciliation, peace and security, they should restrict their focus to the question as to whether the guilt of a particular accused has been established in respect of the crimes charged.

Magister Legum - LLM / Sexual violence leaves the victims psychologically traumatised and stigmatised in the eyes of its community. Used on a large scale, sexual violence can destabilise a society as a whole and when used during armed conflicts, it serves as a powerful weapon against members of a community. During armed conflicts, sexual violence is widespread and systematically used as a tool of war and this makes sexual violence amount to crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. This research paper critically analyses and evaluates sexual violence as an international crime, as well as its prosecution under international criminal law mainly by the International Criminal Court (hereafter ICC), International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (hereafter ICTY) and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (hereafter ICTR). It discusses the problem of selectivity that can be observed in prosecuting sexual violence that has in fact, left many victims of sexual violence dissatisfied. By doing so, it analyses the law as it is to determine whether the law applied during sexual violence prosecutions is sufficient. The paper also states recommendations that can contribute to the effective prosecution of sexual crimes under international criminal law. / South Africa

"This study will demonstrate how the ICTR is developing and enforcing international humanitarian law (IHL). Already it has successfully sent out a clear message to leaders worldwide that gross human rights violations of this nature will no longer go unpunished, providing a form of deterrence. The ICTR continues to develop a rich jurisprudence on IHL that will be examined in this study. Being the first international tribunal to convict a person of genocide, the first to recognise rape as an element of genocide, and to try a woman for the crime of genocide, the ICTR jurisprudence will prove invaluable. The rules of procedure adopted by the ICTR that have greatly facilitated bringing to justice high ranking officials shall also be examined. The study will contribute to the ongoing discussion on the role of the ICTR in developing and enforcing IHL. The study will specifically give insight on how the ICTR helps the development of IHL from an African perspective, thus contributing to ending impunity not only in Rwanda but in Africa as a whole. ... Chapter two will give a background to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which led to the establishment of the ICTR. This section will discuss the jurisdiction, structure, and procedures of the ICTR. Chapter three will examine the development and nature of IHL and the problems regarding its enforceability. Chpater four will address the contribution made by the ICTR to the development and enforcement of IHL. Chapter five will offer some concluding remarks." -- Chapter 1. / Supervised by Mr. Emmanuel Yaw Benneh at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2001. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

This study focuses on the impact of legal representation in general as well as on CCMA proceedings involving unfair dismissals relating to conduction on capacity. The study also touches on the common law position before the enactment of Labour Relations Act 28 of 1956 and Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. Rule 25 of CCMA rules which makes provision that legal representation at CCMA arbitration proceedings relating to fairness of dismissal and party has alleged that the reason for dismissal relates to the employees conduct on capacity, the party is not entitled to be represented by a legal practitioner. The dissertation analyses the effect of this provision on the Constitutional rights to legal representations well as rights relating to fair procedure. Refusal of legal representation in certain instances is justified in the right of legislative requirements on obligation placed particularly on the arbitrator legislative measures which, justifies refusal of legal representation at CCMA that cannot be imposed without giving consideration to the Constitution. The study will highlight the South African case on position with regards to legal representation at CCMA. A literature study will be done using current and researched sources such as textbooks, law journals, and legislation, case law, conferences papers and internet sources. Different rights will be weighed up through literature sources. / LLM (Labour Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This study focuses on the impact of legal representation in general as well as on CCMA proceedings involving unfair dismissals relating to conduction on capacity. The study also touches on the common law position before the enactment of Labour Relations Act 28 of 1956 and Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. Rule 25 of CCMA rules which makes provision that legal representation at CCMA arbitration proceedings relating to fairness of dismissal and party has alleged that the reason for dismissal relates to the employees conduct on capacity, the party is not entitled to be represented by a legal practitioner. The dissertation analyses the effect of this provision on the Constitutional rights to legal representations well as rights relating to fair procedure. Refusal of legal representation in certain instances is justified in the right of legislative requirements on obligation placed particularly on the arbitrator legislative measures which, justifies refusal of legal representation at CCMA that cannot be imposed without giving consideration to the Constitution. The study will highlight the South African case on position with regards to legal representation at CCMA. A literature study will be done using current and researched sources such as textbooks, law journals, and legislation, case law, conferences papers and internet sources. Different rights will be weighed up through literature sources. / LLM (Labour Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This thesis examines the Indian system of personal laws (‘the PLS’), under which the state applies a version of religious doctrine to the family matters of citizens whom it identifies as belonging to different religious groups. There has been a lengthy and persistent debate over the PLS, particularly in relation to its discriminatory effects upon women. However, another problem with the PLS has been little commented-upon. Supporters of the PLS emphasise its positive impact on religious freedom to such an extent that there is a pervasive assumption that the PLS is, indeed, good for religious freedom. But there has been surprisingly little critical assessment of the truth of this claim in either academic or political debates. This thesis, a work of applied normative legal theory, attempts to fill this important gap in the literature on the PLS. The thesis addresses the question of how the PLS affects one conception of religious freedom, namely religious autonomy. Its principal findings are that the PLS interferes with the religious autonomy of those subject to it by affecting their religious options (by interfering with their freedom from religion and their freedom to practice religion) and by harming their self-respect (by discriminating on the grounds of sex and religion, and by misrecognising their religious identities). Furthermore, the thesis finds that the PLS cannot be defended in the name of religious autonomy based on the possibility of exit from the system, the advantage of having the ‘option of personal law’, the power it gives people to bind their future selves, the expressive potential of the personal laws, the contribution it makes to membership in a religious community, the contribution it makes to religious group autonomy, or the recognition or validation it provides for religious identities. These conclusions imply that concerns relating to religious autonomy constitute an important set of objections to the PLS. The thesis then considers several reform proposals, including certain modifications of the PLS, a move towards a millet system, ‘internal’ reform of individual personal laws and the introduction of a Uniform Civil Code. It particularly focusses on one reform possibility – religious alternative dispute resolution – which has not been considered closely in the Indian context.

This thesis seeks to systematically examine the contributions made by the dispute settlement bodies established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to the development of the law of the sea. The two main research questions to be answered are: (i) what kind of contribution have UNCLOS dispute settlement bodies made to the development of the law of the sea? and (ii) what are the factors that impact the performance of UNCLOS dispute settlement bodies in developing the law of the sea? To that end, Chapter 1 provides a working definition for the concept of 'judicial development of international law' in order to establish a framework for an assessment of the contributions of UNCLOS tribunals. Based on this working definition, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 examine the significance of UNCLOS tribunals' decisions in the development of three main areas of the law of the sea, respectively the law on fisheries, the law on the outer continental shelf and the law on marine environmental protection. Based on the findings of these chapters, Chapter 5 analyses the factors that help explain the contributions of UNCLOS tribunals to the law of the sea as identified in the preceding chapters. These factors include: (i) the jurisdictional scope of UNCLOS tribunals, (ii) the institutional design of UNCLOS, (iii) the interpretative method employed by UNCLOS tribunals in deciding their cases and (iv) the perception that UNCLOS tribunals hold regarding their roles. Chapter 6 concludes by taking stock of the contribution of UNCLOS tribunal in these areas and offering some final observations on the role of UNCLOS tribunals in the development of the law of the sea.

This study was conducted in the context of the regulation of professional nursing and midwifery practice in the Australian health care system. In this environment, professional regulatory authorities established by State and Territory legislation in all jurisdictions, regulate and control the work of health professionals. In Queensland, registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives are regulated by the Queensland Nursing Council, the statutory body created by the Nursing Act 1992 (Qld). Part of the regulatory role of this and other authorities is to discipline professionals whose conduct or behaviour falls short of appropriate and acceptable standards of practice. All regulated health professionals, including nurses and midwives, are potentially subject to professional disciplinary action if a complaint is lodged in relation to their conduct. This being an important issue in the management and delivery of health care, and an increased trend among health care consumers, the dearth of existing research into the disciplinary process is a major concern. This exploratory study examined the disciplinary role of the Queensland Nursing Council in adhering to its legislative mandate to ensure safe and competent nursing practice. The study focused on the extent to which structural (legislation and policy), professional, and process factors impacted on the outcomes of disciplinary Tribunals and Committees in cases of incompetent or unsafe practice and sexual misconduct. The study was situated within the interpretive paradigm using a case study approach. Specifically, it investigated cases of sexual misconduct by nurses and unsafe or incompetent practice by midwives. The study was guided by Donabedian's conceptual framework of structure-process-outcome. This framework was seen to be most suited to the aims of the study and provided a template for in-depth analysis of the data emerging from the two cases. The findings of this study provided insight into the factors underpinning the decisions of the disciplinary bodies in making determinations and formulating outcomes. There was found to be a lack of consistency and predictability in both the legislative frameworks and the interpretation of terms and concepts used to identify conduct warranting a disciplinary response from regulatory authorities. Although the processes of disciplinary proceedings are prescribed by both legislation and policy, their practical application was characterised by considerable challenges, which resulted in varying outcomes. The thesis reports this information so that it can be used as an initial basis to build a body of knowledge from practical experience with disciplinary proceedings that will inform future processes. Subsequent case studies in other contexts and systems will increase the level of knowledge available to nurses, other health care providers, health care institutions and regulatory authorities. The initial base of evidence suggests implications for practice, education and further research which are outlined in the final chapter of the thesis.

At the outset, it has to be noticed that crimes against international law are committed by men, not by abstract entities, and international law will achieve its goals only if those responsible for crimes will be brought to justice. The principle of individual criminal responsibility of Heads’ of State for crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and torture (elaborated in the Nuremberg Charter) is part of customary international law. The principle is embodied in the resolutions of the UN General Assembly – Principles of Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgment of the Tribunal (1950); international treaties – Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), Geneva Conventions (1949), Convention against Torture and Other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (1984), Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998); other international instruments – UN Draft Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind (1996), Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (1993) (also clarified in the proceedings brought before the former Yugoslavian leader S. Milosevic) and Rwanda (1994); decisions of national courts – the UK House of Lords decisions in the Pinochet case (1998 -1999); extradition requests sent and honoured by executive officials – Belgium international arrest warrant for H. Habre (2005) and African Union requests; state proposals for international... [to full text]

Les organisations internationales furent marquées dès le XIXe siècle par une évolution importante des modes de règlement des conflits concernant leur personnel, évolution ayant connu des périodes de progrès mais également de régression en matière d’indépendance de la justice liée à la question sensible des pouvoirs de leurs organes directeurs. La thèse examine cette évolution à l’aide de la théorie de l’institutionnalisme historique et à travers une typologie des critères d’indépendance. Ainsi, tandis qu’il existait essentiellement quatre types de justice interne pour le personnel et d’autres personnes affectées par leurs activités au XIXe siècle, l’avènement de la Société des Nations en 1919 voit la création du système de justice administrative interne destiné au seul personnel qui dominera le XXe siècle: la procédure de réclamation auprès de comités paritaires consultatifs sans pouvoir contraignant, suivi de la possibilité d’un recours auprès d’une juridiction administrative indépendante. La perte de contrôle des organes directeurs sur cette justice amena cependant les États à se doter durant la seconde moitié du XXe siècle d’un mécanisme leur permettant de demander la réformation des jugements auprès de la Cour internationale de Justice qui en profita au contraire pour finalement consacrer l’indépendance des juridictions administratives internationales et celle des organisations internationales. Le système mixte dans lequel les premiers niveaux de recours de nature administrative dépendaient encore des chefs des administrations disparut au sein des Nations Unies en 2009 avec l’avènement d’un double degré de juridiction indépendant. Par contre, fragmentée et cloisonnée, l’ensemble de la justice interne des Nations Unies reste grevé par des réformes concomitantes quant à la responsabilité des Nations Unies vis-à-vis de tiers, qui, encore en 2017, n’ont pas prévu de contrôle juridictionnel efficace. / Staff conflict resolution mechanisms within international organisations have witnessed a tremendous evolution since the 19th century, evolution which saw progress but also periods of regression in terms of independence of justice mainly due to the sensitive issue of the authority of their governing bodies. The thesis studies this evolution by applying the theory of historical institutionalism and through various criteria used to measure the independence of these mechanisms. While mainly four different systems of justice existed for staff members and others in the 19th century, the establishment of the League of Nations in 1919 was accompanied by the creation of a new type of recourse mechanism solely meant for staff members and which would eventually dominate the 20th century: joint advisory boards with staff participation without binding authority and independent administrative tribunals. The loss of control experienced by the governing bodies over these tribunals also led Members States to establish a new mechanism allowing them to challenge their decisions with the International Court of Justice. But far from assisting them to ascertain their authority, the ICJ would not only confirm the independence of those administrative tribunals but also of the United Nations itself. The joint advisory boards, the last element of the conflict resolution mechanisms which was not yet independent, were finally abolished within the United Nations in 2009 through a justice reform that created a new appeals tribunal. However, fragmented and compartmentalized, the overall justice system within the United Nations still fails in 2017 to address the broader issue of its liability towards all kind of persons and companies, which might have suffered harm from its activities.