The Interaction of the Covid-19 Pandemic with International Criminal Justice and Transitional Justice

While the origin of Covid-19 is a controversial issue, there is no doubt that accountability for its outbreak requires incorporation of environmental aspects to international crimes. This paper aims to establish the relationship between the Covid-19 pandemic and international criminal justice by analyzing the content of international instruments and legal authorities. It will be argued that pandemics are related to violations of fundamental human rights and systematic poverty and that international criminal justice must address the underlying factors of the pandemic, although it presently lacks the ability to achieve this important goal. Regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the process of transitional justice for victims of international crimes and violations of human-rights and humanitarian law, it will be observed that the efforts of the relevant governments are somewhat shaky and the implementation process has been slow and constrained. In order to achieve criminal justice as regards Covid-19, the intervention of the International Criminal Court is worth considering, as the court's efforts to fulfill its mission of combating the impunity of international crimes are becoming increasingly conspicuous.