Which document established individual criminal responsibility under international law after World War II?

Which document established individual criminal responsibility under international law after World War II?

• A. The Charter of the International Military Tribunal (Nuremberg)
• B. Genocide Convention
• C. Vienna Convention
• D. Rome Statute of the ICC

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that international law began holding individuals personally accountable after World War II. The Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg established that individuals could be prosecuted under international law for grave crimes, defining crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and creating the tribunal to try them. This was a turning point that moved beyond treating states as the sole actors in international wrongdoing. The Genocide Convention later codified genocide as a crime and required states to punish it, but it did not itself inaugurate the general principle of individual accountability. The Vienna Convention deals with treaty law, not criminal responsibility. The Rome Statute later created the International Criminal Court and expanded individual accountability, but it actioned long after WWII.

The key idea is that international law began holding individuals personally accountable after World War II. The Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg established that individuals could be prosecuted under international law for grave crimes, defining crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and creating the tribunal to try them. This was a turning point that moved beyond treating states as the sole actors in international wrongdoing.

The Genocide Convention later codified genocide as a crime and required states to punish it, but it did not itself inaugurate the general principle of individual accountability. The Vienna Convention deals with treaty law, not criminal responsibility. The Rome Statute later created the International Criminal Court and expanded individual accountability, but it actioned long after WWII.