Legal Remedies for Victims of “ International Crimes” Fostering an EU Approach to Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
The problem areas and recommendations outlined in this paper stem from the discussions and conclusions of two conferences organised in 2003.
In many cases where the victims, or indeed the alleged perpetrators, have left the jurisdiction where the crimes took place, the only effective remedy is the exercise of extraterritorial jurisdiction. Remedies in the territorial State are often not available due to the nature of the crimes, and the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and other international justice mechanisms is limited.
The aim is to make the practices and procedures of EU Member States more consistent and to foster greater cooperation between Member States in the investigation and prosecution of “international crimes” (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture).
This report evaluates existing mechanisms and recommends measures to be taken at the national and European levels in order to reinforce the fight against impunity.