Knowra War crime War crime A serious violation of the laws and customs of armed conflict that entails individual criminal responsibility. War crimes can be committed in international or non-international armed conflicts.
International humanitarian law : The body of international law that limits the effects of armed conflict and protects people not participating in hostilities. War crimes are serious breaches of this law's rules on conducting hostilities and protecting people.
War crime elements : The legal requirements that must be proved to establish a particular war crime. Courts assess each offense against defined conduct, context, and mental-state requirements.
Nuremberg trials : The postwar proceedings in which Allied tribunals prosecuted leading Nazi officials for international crimes. The International Military Tribunal affirmed individual responsibility for violations of the laws of war.
Crime against humanity : A specified inhumane act committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not require a connection to armed conflict.
International Criminal Court : A permanent international court that prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. The Court can prosecute war crimes within its jurisdiction when national proceedings do not genuinely address them.
Armed conflict : Organized armed violence between states or between a state and organized armed groups, or among such groups. War-crime rules apply only when the legal threshold for armed conflict is met.
Protected person : A person entitled to protection under international humanitarian law because of their status or circumstances. Many offenses require proof that the victim belonged to a legally protected class.
Tokyo Trial : The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which prosecuted Japanese leaders after World War II. Its judgments addressed responsibility for wartime atrocities and command failures.
Genocide : Certain acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. Genocide requires a specific intent to destroy a protected group, not merely a grave violation of wartime rules.
Universal jurisdiction : A state's authority to prosecute certain crimes without a territorial or nationality link to the offense or accused. Some national courts use this principle to pursue alleged war crimes committed abroad.
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