CYIL vol. 12 (2021)

CYIL 12 (2021) THE NUREMBERG PRINCIPLES AS THE BASIS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL Law The Nuremberg Principles as the Basis of International Criminal Law Katarína Šmigová Abstract: The Article points toward the development of the international criminal law from the point of view of interpretation and further application of the Nuremberg Principles that are considered to be international customary law. It analyses every one of seven Nuremberg Principles as it has been applied by the Nuremberg Tribunal, ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court. This Article thus aims to consider whether there is a legacy from Nuremberg Trial and the Nuremberg Judgment alive in the establishing treaty of the International Criminal Court and its practice. Resumé: Príspevok sa zaoberá vývojom medzinárodného trestného práva z hľadiska in- terpretácie a ďalšej aplikácie norimberských zásad, ktoré sú považované za medzinárodné obyčajové právo. Analyzuje každú zo siedmich norimberských zásad tak, ako ich uplatňoval Norimberský tribunál, ad hoc tribunály a Medzinárodný trestný súd. Cieľom tohto článku je tak preskúmať, či Norimberský proces a Norimberský rozsudok zanechali svoj odkaz v ustanovujúcej zmluve Medzinárodného trestného súdu a jeho praxi. Key words: Nuremberg Principles, international criminal law, crimes under international law About the author: Katarína Šmigová is an associate Professor at the Department of International and European Law, Faculty of Law, Pan European University in Bratislava. Her research focuses on a position of an individual within international law, therefore it includes several areas of international criminal law (LL.M in International Criminal Law), international human rights law (Dîplome, International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg) and international humanitarian law (Course on International Humanitarian Law for University Teachers, International Committee of the Red Cross, Genève). She is a member of the American Society of International Law and a committee member of the Slovak Society of International Law 1. Introduction Being the world’s first permanent international criminal court, the International Criminal Court (hereinafter also the Court or the ICC) might be analysed also from the point of view of the development of international criminal law. Since historia est magistra vitae , it is very helpful to consider the development that forewent the establishment of the ICC, especially if Nuremberg is considered to be its roots. 1 When talking about the development of international criminal law, the literature and academics usually offer a timeline starting with the composition of the Nuremberg Trial and Judgment (hereinafter Nuremberg), 2 ad hoc

1 KIRSCH, P., Applying the Principles of Nuremberg in the International Criminal Court, in Washington University Global Studies Law Review , 2007, issue 3, vol. 6, p. 501. 2 International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg), The United States of America, The French Republic, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, v. Göring et al., Judgment, 1 October 1946, available at http://www.legal-tools.org/doc/45f18e/, last accessed at 22 April 2021.

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