The ICC vs. Ad Hoc Tribunals
Comparing the permanent ICC with the temporary tribunals for Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia.
The Ad Hoc Model
Before the ICC, international criminal justice operated through ad hoc tribunals created for specific situations. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, 1993-2017) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR, 1994-2015) were established by the Security Council. Hybrid courts, combining international and domestic elements, were created for Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Lebanon, and Kosovo.
Ad hoc tribunals had significant advantages. They were tailored to specific situations, could focus all resources on one conflict, and were created with a specific mandate that provided legitimacy. The ICTY developed extensive jurisprudence on crimes in the former Yugoslavia and convicted senior leaders including Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. The ICTR convicted former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda for genocide.