KRIM2956 – International Criminal Justice and Mass Violence

The course addresses international calls to "do justice" in the aftermath of mass violence and international crimes, and their manifestations in international criminal tribunals and accountability processes. The course is based on discussions of course literature, different analytical perspectives and empirical case studies.

We address the rationales behind and outcomes of international criminalization processes and related re-presentations of victims and perpetrators of mass violence. While the course emphasizes the special contribution the criminological and socio-legal perspectives can bring to the study of mass violence and international criminal justice, it also crosses disciplinary boundaries and emphasizes a variety of approaches to these issues.

With literature suggestions as a point of departure, each lecture will present and discuss the current status of research related to the given theme. The following themes form the main content and focus of the course:

1. the emergence and development of international criminal courts;

2. the legitimacy of international criminal justice and of the International Criminal Court in particular;

3. re-presentations of victims and victims' justice;

4. re-presentations of perpetrators and international punishment;

5. contemporary developments in international criminal justice in response to current conflicts, shifting geopolitics and new technologies.

Knowledge, at the end of the course, students are expected to:

• know central discussions and positions of how to deal with mass violence and international crimes
• know how international criminal justice has developed
• know different theoretical perspectives on justice after mass violence

Skills, at the end of the course, students are expected to:

• be able to account for central theoretical themes and empirical examples addressed during the course
• be able to identify how law and politics intersect in the construction and understandings of mass violence and international crimes
• be able to discuss how law and politics affect international responses to mass violence and international crimes

Competences, at the end of the course, students have:

• enhanced their respect and understanding for social scientific critical thinking and inquiry
• learned what it entails to interpret, analyze and discuss scholarly texts
• developed their capability to critically reflect on the meaning and intersection of law and politics in relation to mass violence and in relation to the ways in which the international community address such violence.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Students are graded on the basis of a 4 hours digital school exam.

The candidates will take the exam on a PC and the submission is digital in Inspera Read about School exams in Inspera

You must familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to exam support materials, and the use of sources and citations.

Location during the exam and candidate number will be published in Studentweb about a week before the examination.

This is an open book digital school examination. You are permitted to use any materials written on paper during the examination. This includes books, lecture materials and your own notes, whether handwritten or printed. There are no restrictions on marking up or highlighting these written materials.

No electronic support materials are allowed.

Rules for citation are crucial for determining whether the use of exam resources is legal.