Judicial Imperialism : The Politicization of International Criminal Justice in Africa Hardback

The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) promised a new era in which the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide would no longer escape justice.

However, after more than a decade of operation, and despite the clear commission of war crimes in countries including Syria, Colombia, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the Court has still only prosecuted cases in Africa.

This has led to accusations by some African government officials and analysts that the ICC is little more than an instrument of 'neo-colonialism' and regime change.

In Judicial Imperialism, Tim Muruthi demonstrates that the principles behind the creation of the Court have been subverted by, and subjugated to, the interests of the world's most powerful countries.

Through detailed case studies of seven African countries, Muruthi shows that the ICC has perpetuated a two-tier system of international justice, with one law for the powerful and another for the weak. Crucially, Muruthi also points to prospects for the future, arguing that through the radical reform of global decision-making processes, it may be possible to revive the project of international criminal justice and thus reclaim the ICC's founding principles from the distorting influences of the world powers.