Taking Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Seriously in International Criminal Law by Evelyne Schmid

Excerpt

Taking Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Seriously in International Criminal Law is a significant and timely contribution not only for the broader scheme of international criminal law, but more specifically for the expanding field of transitional justice, as well. Evelyne Schmid offers a meticulous and systematic analysis of the neglect of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) violations in international criminal law, relying on extensive sources that include legal cases, academic literature, and real life situations. The core argument of the book is that a situation or fact can, concurrently, be explained as a violation of ESCR while at the same time being qualified as an international crime. This parallel legal qualification means that not only should state responsibility for an internationally wrongful act be considered, but also individual criminal responsibility can be triggered. …