Breakfast Briefing with Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen

Head of State Immunity in the 21st Century

Abstract

In light of the development of international criminal law since Nuremberg, it is natural to ask whether the customary rules on immunity to this day continue to protect state leaders from prosecution for international crimes. The leading judgments on the issue from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) point to different results. This places states like Denmark in a legal dilemma, which is currently actualized by the ICC cases concerning Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. In her presentation, Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen will present and analyze the most recent theoretical arguments for exceptions to the personal immunity of high-ranking state officials before certain international criminal courts.

 About the Speaker

Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen is Professor of International Law and Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, and will present her upcoming InterMil report.

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See a list of all the Breakfast Briefings for Fall 2024.