Consolidating the Aftermath of Justice – The Idea of a Single Residual Mechanism for Atrocity Crimes

In December 2022, Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), stated that the ICC should undertake the prosecution of any crimes arising out of the war in Ukraine within the ICC’s jurisdiction, arguing that “we should avoid fragmentation, and instead work on consolidation.” His statement was issued in reaction to calls from the international community to hold Russia accountable for crimes committed against Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

This symposium explores the concept of establishing a single residual mechanism, and identifies both the opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness of such a mechanism as well as the possible risks to implementation. As outlined in our introductory post, the discussion is informed by a series of interviews conducted with experts in the field of international criminal law who have worked within various ad hoc and hybrid international tribunals over the past several decades.