RESPONSIBILITY FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: MODERN TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/klj/2026.2.36Keywords:
crimes against humanity, international criminal law, International Criminal Court, Rome Statute, international criminal responsibility, ad hoc tribunals, genocide, war crimesAbstract
The article provides a comprehensive study of current trends in the development of international criminal law in the context of accountability for crimes against humanity as one of the gravest categories of international crimes. It analyzes the regulatory and legal framework governing this area, in particular the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the practice of ad hoc international criminal tribunals (for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda), as well as recent case law of both international and national courts. Special attention is paid to the evolution of approaches to defining the concept of “crimes against humanity” in both international legal doctrine and positive law, which makes it possible to identify existing inconsistencies and gaps in legal regulation. The paper examines in detail the elements of crimes against humanity, including contextual elements, actus reus and mens rea, as well as issues of classification of specific acts in light of contemporary international standards. It also considers mechanisms for implementing the principle of inevitability of punishment, in particular through the activities of the International Criminal Court, the exercise of universal jurisdiction by national courts, and the development of interstate cooperation in the field of criminal law. Particular emphasis is placed on the issue of holding states and their officials accountable, including questions of immunity, the relationship between international and national law, and the political and legal challenges that arise in the administration of justice. The prospects for the codification of relevant norms within a separate UN Convention on Crimes against Humanity are also analyzed. It is substantiated that the modern development of international criminal law is characterized by the institutional strengthening of accountability mechanisms, the expansion of the jurisdiction of international judicial bodies, the increasing role of national legal systems in ensuring international criminal justice, and the enhancement of global coordination in combating the most serious crimes against humanity.
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