March 28, 2024

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Kigali: Dr. Phil Clark to launch a New Book on Why International Justice must go local

Book cover

Kigali, 23rd May 2019: Dr. Phil Clark who is attending the AEGIS Trust second Research and Policy Conference in Kigali will launch a book titled “Distant Justice” through which he explains “Why International Justice must go local“Using the case of “the International Criminal Court in Africa.”, TOPAFRICANEWS has learnt

In his book, Dr. Clark explainedThe ICC and its backers have paid insufficient attention to the diverse ways that mass crimes are being addressed across Africa. In various African states, a brighter future for justice is emerging at community, national and regional levels.”

He added that “Depending on the context, these practices need either international support or freedom from external intrusion to maximise their potential. A key reason the ICC was established was the expectation that domestic institutions would often be unwilling or unable to prosecute serious crimes, especially those involving their own state officials.

“African courts, however, are increasingly tackling atrocity cases – including against government suspects – and have much to teach the ICC about how to investigate atrocities on the continent.” Read part of the explanation on the book.

“In my book Distant Justice: The Impact of the International Criminal Court on African Politics,2 I argue that the principal reason the ICC has struggled to conduct effective investigations is that its modus operandi – attempting to dispense justice from The Hague, with mainly non-African staff who have limited experience in Africa and spend minimal time on the ground – is consistently found wanting when applied to African conflict zones. The ICC pursues distant justice because it believes this maintains the security and neutrality of its personnel, allowing the Court to hover above the political fray, investigating and prosecuting individuals regardless of the domestic consequences or local context. This smacks of political naiveté or hubris or both.” Dr. Clark Said

The book which will be launched on Friday is part of the two day Conference which takes place from Thursday 23 and Friday 24 May 2019 at Kigali Marriott Hotel.

The Conference was organized by AEGIS TRUST and is exclusively featuring several presentations of high quality academic papers produced by Rwandan researchers sponsored through its Research, Policy and Higher Education (RPHE) Program.

The conference will also feature two lectures namely the need for Rwandan/African agency in global knowledge production and the relevance of social science research in policy-making.

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