The Congo Trials in the International Criminal Court

This is the first in-depth study of the first three ICC trials: an engaging accessible text meant for specialists and students for legal advocates and a wide range of professionals concerned with diverse cultures human rights and restorative justice. It introduces international justice and courtroom trials in practical terms offering a balanced view on persistent tensions and controversies. Separate chapters analyze the working realities of central African armed conflicts finding reasons for their surprising resistance to ICC legal formulas. The book dissects the Courts structural dynamics which were designed to steer an elusive middle course between high moral ideals and hard political realities. Detailed chapters provide vivid accounts of courtroom encounters with four Congolese suspects. The mixed record of convictions acquittals dissents and appeals resulting from these trials provides a map of distinct fault-lines within the ICC legal code and suggests a rocky path ahead for the Courts next ventures.