Legal 1.6 International Crime

state sovereignty

the authority of an independent state to govern itself (for example, to make and apply laws; impose and collect taxes; make war and peace; and form treaties with foreign states)

crime against the international community

a most serious crime, of concern to the international community as a whole, and recognised by the international community as requiring punishment

transnational crimes

crime that occurs across international borders, wither in origin or effect

international crime

a broad term covering any crime that is punishable by a state but has international origin or consequences, or a crime recognised by the international community as punishable

genocide

the deliberate extermination of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group

universal jurisdiction

where a state claims a right to prosecute a person for actions committed in another state, based on the common international opinion that the alleged crime is so serious that normal laws of criminal jurisdiction do not apply

International Criminal Court (ICC)

an independent international court established by the Rome Statue to prosecute and try international crime of the most serious nature; the ICC started operating in July 2002

Rome Statute

the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998); the international treaty that established the International Criminal Court

Nuremberg trials

a series of military tribunals that took place in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II (from 1945 to 1946; they were organised and run by the victorious Allied powers, and they are famous for their prosecution of prominent leaders of defeated Nazi Germany for crimes against humanity and war crimes

Geneva Conventions

four treaties, with three extra protocols, that set the international law standards for the humane treatment of the victims of war, whether military or civilian

human trafficking

the commercial trade or trafficking in human beings for the purpose of some form of slavery, usually involving recruiting, transporting or obtaining a person by force, coercion or deceptive means

crime against humanity

described in the Rome Statute as an act ‘committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population’

war crime

action carried out during a time of war that violates accepted international rules of war

Australian Federal Police (AFP)

Australia’s Commonwealth police force, establoshed to uphold Commonwealth criminal law and to guard Australia’s interests from crime both in Australia and internationally

peacekeeping

the activity of creating conditions for sustainable peace in countries affected by conflict, through the use of force, quite often provided by a number of countries and consisting of soldiers, civilian police and civilian personnel

extradition

the legal surrender of a suspect or convicted criminal by one jurisdiction to another to face criminal charges or sentence

bilateral agreement

an agreement between two countries

International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

the world’s largest international police organisation, established in 1923 to facilitate collaboration among police agencies around the world