States exercise domestic criminal jurisdiction over individuals for the commission of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity (hereinafter "the major crimes") committed within their own territory or by nationals of the state. In addition to prosecutions in domestic criminal courts, states have tried perpetrators of major crimes before military tribunals; conducted special inquiries, generally of a non-criminal nature; held truth and reconciliation commissions; and granted limited or general amnesties. Other venues for prosecuting alleged breaches of these offences include ad hoc international criminal tribunals, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and criminal courts of other states prosecuting perpetrators pursuant to some form of extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Domestic Criminal Jurisdiction

The purpose of prosecution is to punish the...