The International Nuremberg Principles Academy is delighted to announce the publication of the Ethical Principles for International Criminal Judges developed as part of the project “Ethica, on the Path to a Common Code of Ethics for International Criminal Judges”. Led by the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, the École Nationale de la Magistrature and the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, the project was supported by France through the financial contribution of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and of Expertise France.
The project was initiated following the 2017 Paris Declaration on the Effectiveness of International Criminal Justice. It identifies the ethical rules applicable to international criminal judges based on concrete cases that have arisen, or are likely to arise, before international criminal jurisdictions.
The Ethical Principles were identified and approved by an international group of experts at two seminars held in Nuremberg on 6 February 2023 and in Paris on 15 May 2023. This high-level group is composed of Presidents of international criminal courts and tribunals as well as current and former representatives of such courts and tribunals, of international organisations, civil society and academia.
The main issues and methodology of the project were determined by the Scientific Committee, composed of Nicolas Guillou, Director of the Scientific Committee and Judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, José Igreja Matos, President of the International Association of Judges and President of the Court of Appeal of Porto, Mónica Pinto, Professor Emerita of International Law and International Human Rights Law at the University of Buenos Aires and former UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and William A. Schabas, Professor of International Law at Middlesex University, London.
Several dissemination activities took place.
Official launch and presentation of the principles:
13 October in Siracusa, Italy
24 October in New York, United States
15 November in The Hague, The Netherlands
Read the full principles available in English, French, Spanish and German below.
