Terrorism and International Criminal Law

The 21st century has witnessed a marked increase in the prevalence of failed and failing States, and an equally significant increase in acts of domestic and international terrorism. The challenge at present is for the international community of nations to adopt a common approach to the treatment of terrorism as an international crime. With an international war on terrorism seemingly being sanctioned by the United Nations, it is time for the crime of terrorism, as the act of a non-governmental organization, to become a part of the universal responsibility of nations, with that responsibility further delegated to an international institution (such as the International Criminal Court) for prosecution and subsequent sanction. In this book, the current status of terrorism as an international crime is discussed. In this respect, a review of the existing treaties and conventions dealing with discrete elements of terrorism are examined, followed by the identification of the definitional problem of what exactly constitutes terrorism. The book concludes with a review of the current state of international criminal law, and it argues that the lack of a precise agreed-upon definition of terrorism in the international community does not detract from the criminality of the act, but, rather, it simply provides an excuse for States to not meet their obligations under the law. (Series: International Criminal Law - Vol. 8)