Legal Definitions - international criminal tribunals

International criminal tribunals are courts that are created to handle cases related to international criminal law. These courts can be temporary or permanent and are responsible for prosecuting individuals who have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other serious offenses that violate international law.

Examples of international criminal tribunals include:

• The Nuremberg Military Tribunals, which were established after World War II to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war.
• The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, which was convened in 1946 to prosecute Japanese military leaders for war crimes committed during World War II.
• The International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia, which was established in 1993 to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes committed during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
• The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which was established in 1994 to prosecute individuals responsible for the genocide that occurred in Rwanda that same year.
• The Special Court for Sierra Leone, which was established in 1996 to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war in Sierra Leone.
• The International Criminal Court, which is a permanent court that was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

These examples illustrate how international criminal tribunals are created to hold individuals accountable for serious crimes that violate international law. They also show how these courts can be established in response to specific conflicts or events, or as a permanent institution to handle cases that arise in the future.