Abstract

This article aims to verify whether, and to what extent, the practice of the last twenty years reflects the theoretical premises usually associated to international criminal justice, as a set of institutions and norms not only intended to prosecute international crimes, but also to enforce international rules prohibiting the use of force and, as a result, maintain or restore international peace and security. To this end, a series of elements need to be taken into account. Drawing from the results achieved by the papers published in this Special Section and focusing on some of the most complex and recent criminal situations, the article argues that the less the judicial action had been internationalized, the more it seemed able to contribute, within the State where it took place, at least to the maintenance of peaceful conditions achieved by other means.