The UN International Criminal Tribunals: A Practical Legal Guide

In this review of The UN International Criminal Tribunals: The Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, the reviewer finds a rigorous, practice-focused guide useful for legal scholars, practitioners and advanced students of international criminal law. The book is aimed at readers who need a clear, consolidated account of the law developed by the tribunals between 1993 and 2002, and the single biggest reason to buy is its systematic treatment of substantive crime elements and modes of participation, which makes it a reliable reference for understanding how genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have been defined and prosecuted.

Key Features

• Scope: Covers the three UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, offering a unified view of jurisprudential developments across jurisdictions.
• Substantive law: Explains the elements of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in a way that helps readers apply legal tests to case facts.
• Modes of liability: Treats forms of participation and concepts of individual responsibility, which clarifies how defendants are assessed under tribunal law.
• Procedural matters: Discusses procedural issues and sentencing to show how trials were conducted and how penalties were determined.
• Legal legacy: Frames the tribunals' contributions as foundational guidance for later developments in international criminal law.

Who It's For

This book is best suited for international law professors, practicing international criminal lawyers, and postgraduate students who require a compact but substantive guide to tribunal jurisprudence and legal principles developed from 1993 to 2002. It is particularly valuable when preparing case analyses or comparative research across the three tribunals.

Readers seeking a popular history, memoir, or a general-audience account of the conflicts themselves should look elsewhere, as the focus is legal analysis rather than narrative history or broad political commentary.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Authoritative synthesis of tribunal law makes complex legal developments accessible to specialists and students.
• Clear exposition of the elements of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes aids practical application in case study work.
• Inclusion of procedural and sentencing discussion connects substantive law to courtroom practice.

Cons

• Not intended as a general history or introductory textbook for readers without prior legal background.

Specifications

Title	The UN International Criminal Tribunals: The Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone
Author	William A. Schabas
Subject focus	International criminal law; genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes
Tribunals covered	Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone
Timeframe addressed	Tribunals established 1993 to 2002
Content types	Substantive law, modes of participation, procedural matters, sentencing

Our Verdict

This book is a compact, well-structured legal guide best purchased by students and practitioners who need a focused synthesis of tribunal jurisprudence; its emphasis on elements of crime and modes of liability makes it good value as a reference for research and case preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover all three tribunals?
Yes. It treats the tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone together and compares legal developments across them.

Is this suitable for non-lawyers?
It is written primarily for readers with some legal background; general readers may find the focus technical rather than narrative.

Does it address sentencing and procedure?
Yes. The book discusses procedural matters and sentencing alongside substantive legal analysis.