INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURTS – BETWEEN LAW, JUSTICE, RECONCILIATION AND RIGHTS OF VICTIMS –

JOVAŠEVIĆ Dragan (Dr Dragan Jovašević, redovni profesor Pravnog fakulteta u Nišu, Niš), jovas@prafak.ni.ac.rs

Since the ancient times till the present the international community has provided various forms of co-operation for the purpose of criminal prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of the most serious criminal acts that in the most severe and violent ways violate the rules of international law breaching or jeopardising the humanity and other property, which are protected by the international system of legal rules. Among them the most important form consists of the establishment and acting of international criminal courts that in the interest of justice and in the name of the civilised part of the mankind or enlightened peoples presses criminal charges and pronounces sentences and other criminal sanctions against perpetrators of international criminal acts. There are several kinds of international judicial bodies with different law features and duration. The paper deals with their characteristics, roles and organisation both from the theoretical and practical aspects.

Keywords: International law, crimes, courts, responsibility, punishment