Universal Jurisdiction in International Criminal Law

This book explores the concept of universal jurisdiction in international criminal law through a critical international legal approach. Drawing on the work of Martti Koskenniemi and David Kennedy it unpacks the legal arguments justifying and criticizing universal jurisdiction in the legal debate on jurisdiction and through analysis of the relevant case law. Identifying overarching patterns within the debate on universal jurisdiction, the book argues that the debate is bounded by the tension between contrasting political approaches, labelled as moralist ("preventing impunity") and formalist ("avoiding abuse") which struggle for hegemonic control.