UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION - SOME PHILOSOPHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES

In recent years we have observed a worldwide debate on universal jurisdiction. This phenomenon is closely related to some international events: the Pinochet case, the Arrest Warrant Case, the International Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court, etc. The concept of universal jurisdiction has become an important legal instrument in the international campaign against impunity. However, this institution is not only one of the most controversial issues in international criminal law, but has also some important philosophical aspects, of which the paper explores some. An attempt has also been made to compare the legal, political and ethical aspects of universal jurisdiction with similar problems that accompany another international institution: humanitarian intervention