22nd May 2009
HRLC is pleased to announce that its National Implementing Legislation Database of the Rome Statute (NILD) is now available on the website of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It forms part of the 'Legal Tools', a unique knowledge-transfer platform for international criminal and human rights law.
The Legal Tools provide the general public with free access to more than 40 000 documents on international criminal law and justice through several databases, and legal research and reference tools. This unique electronic library is likely to become the single-most important knowledge transfer platform on criminal justice for atrocities. This includes a new relational database of national legislation which implements the Rome Statute, which has been designed by the International Criminal Justice Unit of the Human Rights Law Centre between 2006 and 2009, as one of eight outsourcing partners of the ICC.
Led by Dr Olympia Bekou (head of the ICJ Unit), Dr Will Lowe (Research Fellow) and Emilie Hunter (Research and Programmes Coordinator) and supported by over 25 student research assistants, the National Implementing Legislation Database (NILD) provides the public with a fully-searchable electronic database of national laws which implement the Rome Statute and is complemented by overviews of each States legislation. This component of the ICC Legal Tools enables users to conduct refined searches of currently over 2000 pages of legal documents and notes, using thematic categories based on keywords or Articles of the Rome Statute.
Dr Bekou comments that: “The National Implementing Legislation Database was created in response to the needs of States, legal drafters and civil society, who needed easy access to comparative information on legislation which incorporates the Rome Statue into national laws. NILD will enable comparative analysis in a time-saving and less resource intensive manner and can serve as an aid to States who may be considering implementing the Rome Statute into their domestic legal system. We are delighted to be part of this exciting project which facilitates the research and practice of international criminal law and furthers the effective functioning of the Court.”
HRLC Knowledge Transfer Ambassador and Fellow Morten Bergsmo, who designed the architecture of the Legal Tools platform and played a co-ordinating role in its realisation, remarks that “huge sums are every year invested in the acquisition and development of weapon systems. Hardly any resources have been invested in innovative approaches to effective documentation, investigation and prosecution of unlawful use of such weapons in armed conflict. The Legal Tools Project draws on technology to strengthen the hand of those who seek to bring the law to the worst atrocities committed in conflicts. It puts innovation in the service of justice. It is worth trying this approach”.
Initial work on the database has been funded by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Switzerland and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). HRLC has also received one of the University's knowledge transfer awards to further promote the ICC Legal Tools, in a project entitled 'Towards a successful partnership: The ICC Legal Tools and the EU.'
The Legal Tools can be accessed by visiting the ICC Legal Tools page on the ICC website.
For further information on HRLC's component of the ICC Legal Tools Project, see our project pages.
Other comments from international criminal law experts:
· Klaus Rackwitz, Senior Administrative Manager, ICC Office of the Prosecutor and Chair of the ICC Legal Tools Advisory Committee: “Access to legal information is essential for the quality and efficacy of all legal processes. It is therefore very significant that the ICC – after only a few years of operation – is in a position to offer free access to a unique knowledge-base on international criminal law. I think this is one of the most successful projects of the ICC to date.”
· Christopher K. Hall, Senior Legal Adviser of the International Justice Project of Amnesty International: “I am delighted that the Legal Tools platform offered by the International Criminal Court is now finally available. It is a monumental achievement. Each of the components of the Legal Tools will be an immensely important contribution to the struggle for international justice. National prosecutors, defence lawyers, representatives of victims and non-governmental organizations working in the field of international justice will soon find that they cannot do without it”.
· Richard Dicker, Director of the International Justice Program of Human Rights Watch: “The ICC Legal Tools provide free and immediate access to a wealth of information on international criminal law and justice. The project holds the potential to be the leading information provider in the area of international criminal law. It is very significant that the Legal Tools are offered on a public platform of an international organization such as the ICC. This means that the Legal Tools services are fully accessible also to lawyers and others in materially less resourceful countries that may suffer from conflicts and atrocities”.
Posted on Friday 22nd May 2009