Posts tagged ‘genocide’
Last Week in International Law
1. Prosecutor v. Karadzic
On November 5, the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia postponed the trial against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic until March 2010. Karadzic ended his boycott of the proceedings earlier this week, saying it would be “criminal” if he had “to enter a trial for which I am not prepared.”
As discussed last week, Karadzic’s boycott of the trial led judges to begin hearing the prosecution’s case and warning Karadzic to appear in court or risk being tried in absentia. Besides postponing the trial, the tribunal has also appointed a lawyer to represent Karadzic.
Karadzic has vowed to resist the imposition of counsel. He has seven days to apply for permission to appeal the ruling, and another seven days thereafter to file an appeal.
2. Lisbon Treaty
The Lisbon Treaty was officially ratified by the last European Union member state, the Czech Republic, on 3 November 2009. It is expected to officially become law in December.
The treaty is an attempt to make the EU more cohesive and influential on the worldwide stage, though some critics have seen it as a threat to national sovereignty. The treaty grants new powers to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. Legislation will now be decided by “co-decision” by the parliament and the European Council. A major change regards the president of the…
