Baragwanath on Criminal Justice Day: Law Must Deal with All Criminals, Whatever their Power

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon commemorated on Tuesday International Criminal Justice Day and observed the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which opened its doors on 1 July 2002 in the Netherlands, announced the STL in a statement.

“This day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 17 July 1998, which founded the ICC, creating a historic milestone in the move towards ending impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of international concern – genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression,” it added.

The International Criminal Justice Day is a celebration of the achievements in the field of international criminal justice and the steps taken by the international community to reach global justice.

The President of the Tribunal, Sir David Baragwanath recalled "the commission internationally of grave crimes that still evade both domestic and international response.”

He said: "The law must deal with all criminals, whatever their status or power, who for their own malign reasons would destroy the lives of others.”

“The STL works hard to instill confidence in our work, on the part not only of those affected by the crimes within our jurisdiction, but of all people who seek to end the arrogance of criminal immunity around the world. This requires redoubling efforts to deliver justice, within and beyond state boundaries," he stressed.

The STL Registrar, Herman von Hebel, noted that "as the most recent international tribunal, the STL has followed in the ICC's footsteps and this has provided lessons learnt in areas such as victims' participation and efficient court management".

He added that "with such invaluable experience and information sharing between the tribunals, the STL aims to move the goals of international justice forward expediently within the confines of our particular mandate".