One of the main problems of the International Ad hoc-tribunals in The Hague and Arusha, as well as of the permanent International Court, concerns the conflict between national security and secrecy interests of sovereign States arising in legal proceedings as a result of evidence interests and the court hearing the case. While an International Criminal Court cannot succeed without the necessary competence for gathering evidence, it can also not succeed if it fails to take account of legitimate national security interests.
Written by well-known authors and commentators, the articles in the book deal with this controversy from the point of view of comparative law and legal politics. The topics covered focus on experiences and decisions from the practice of both ad hoc-tribunals, as well as political and legal discussions relating to the Statute and Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the permanent International Criminal Court.