Longer than life: How the ICTY strengthened the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was set up in 1993 in order to prosecute crimes committed during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s. Although its mandate was limited to that of a criminal court, the Tribunal aimed at strengthening the rule of law in the countries under its jurisdiction.
This dissertation examines in what respect the ICTY had an impact on the Bosnian and Serbian criminal justice systems and finds that it influenced national war crimes institutions, domestic criminal legislation and jurisprudence, witnesses’ and victims’ matters, and the use of technology in criminal proceedings. This influence contributed to the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
The research helps in understanding the domestic impact of international institutions and can guide practitioners in setting up and operating international war crimes courts.