About the Book

The International Criminal Court has run into serious problems with its first big case - the situation in northern Uganda. There is no doubt that appalling crimes have occurred here. Joseph Kony‘s Lord‘s Resistance Army have abducted thousands, many of them children, and have systematically tortured, raped, maimed and killed their victims. Nevertheless, the ICC has confronted outright hostility from a wide range of groups, including traditional leaders, representatives of the Catholic and Anglican Churches, and non-governmental organizations. Even the Ugandan government, which invited the ICC to become involved in 2003, has been expressing serious reservations. For many, the Court is spoiling the peace process and is making continued warfare and suffering more likely.

This book argues that much of the antipathy to the ICC is based upon ignorance and misconception. Drawing on field research in Uganda, it shows that victims are much more interested in punitive international justice than has been suggested, and that the ICC has made resolution of the war more likely.

Read an article by Tim Allen in Prospect magazine here

SAMPLE CHAPTER AVAILABLE!

Read the Introduction to the book online here

Commendations

'Allen's powerful work reminds us that much is at stake: not only the prospect of justice for the victims in northern Uganda, but also the very future of the ICC.' - Journal of International Affairs

'Trial Justice is a timely and important contribution to a critical--and often contentious--debate about the role of international criminal justice in times of war and peace.' - Eric Stover, author of The Witnesses: War Crimes and the Promise of Justice in The Hague, and Director, Human Rights Center
Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley

'I enjoyed reading Tim Allen‘s book and learnt much from it... an excellent work.' - Judge Richard Goldstone

'Tim Allen has written a provocative and illuminating analysis of the emerging practice of a new and potentially significant player in international affairs: the ICC.' - Jenny Kuper, author of Military Training and Children: Law, Policy and Practice. Martinus Nijhoff. 2004 and International Law: Concerning Child Civilians in Armed Conflict. Oxford University Press. 1997

'An important and revealing account of efforts to resolve a bitter, exploitative, and under-reported conflict that the international community should and could have ended many, many years ago. Tim Allen has provided an early insight into the problems of resorting to the International Criminal Court in so challenging a circumstance. If the ICC cannot work to resolve a twenty year conflict with the lives of thousands of vulnerable young children at its core, when can it work?' - Jon Snow

'A seminal work that carefully evaluates the conflict that has raged in the region for nearly twenty years. Allen is an anthropologist... who has been working in Northern Uganda for some time. His work, therefore, is of significant value. He is one of a handful of authors... whose writing is supported by a deep knowledge and clear understanding of both the social complexities and the political realities of the region.' - Joanna Quinn, Transitional Justice Forum

'Tim Allen has written a gripping and affirmative account of the complex encounter between international criminal law and African realities.' - Mary Kaldor

'For those engaged in efforts to improve the lives of people in the north, this book is an informative read. For those who are engaged in the punditry business, it is an imperative...[Allen] brings out all of the issues and engages in a detailed analysis of the diverse views on justice and reconciliation especially for and among the Acholi people with particular reference to the ICC.' - the Sunday Vision (Uganda)

Contents

1: Introduction: Ending Impunity
International Law and the Most Serious Crimes - A Resurgence of International Criminal Trials - The Creation of the ICC
2. The Coming of the Lord‘s Resistance Army
Political Upheavals, Spirituality and Guerrilla War - Joseph Kony and the LRA - War and Counter-Insurgency Strategies
3. Displacement and Abduction
Living in IDP Camps - Living with the Lord‘s Resistance Army - Some Experiences of Abduction
4. Amnesty, Peace Talks, and Prosecution
The Change in Political Context - The Amnesty Act - Peace talks - Referral to the ICC - Reactions to the ICC in Uganda - Legal Aspects of the ICC Intervention
5. Concerns about the Court
The ICC is Biased - The ICC Exacerbates the Violence and Endangers Vulnerable Groups - The ICC is Spoiling the Peace Process
6. Justice and Healing
Institutionalization of ‘Mato oput‘ - A Diversity of Local Views - Chiefs, Churches and Spirits - The Evidence on Healing and Justice
7. Conclusion: A Learning Process
8. Postscript: The warrants

About the Author

Dr Tim Allen Is a Reader at the London School of Economics and Programme Director of the post-graduate programme in Development Studies.

Academic Adoption Information

This book is used for teaching at the following institutions:

Queen's University Belfast