THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW IN COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME

Abstract

International criminal law is an important subject that deals with the protection of international human rights since it aims to punish activities that violate fundamental human rights such as life, liberty, and security in general. Although the specific definition of an international crime is still debated, it is usually understood as an act that jeopardises the international community’s essential interests and entails individual criminal liability. Primary international crimes include war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. International criminal law, like ordinary criminal law, prohibits certain behaviours and specifies the penalties that apply when those behaviours are carried out. By adopting the Rome Statute with jurisdiction over core crimes, international society has focused public attention on these crimes, and has accepted the challenge of dealing with ICL in a more coherent manner. Finally, the article argues that the term transnational criminal law is apposite because it is functional and because it points to a legal order that attenuates the distinction between national and international