The talk discusses the genocide crime in abstract terms but also with regard to the situation in Gaza. It looks at the distinction between state/collective (state responsibility) and individual criminality (individual criminal responsibility). It will then focus on the special intent to destroy distinguishing between three levels: the abstract meaning of this intent, the standard of proof and the concrete procedural proof of this intent.  

Kai Ambos holds the Chair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Comparative Law, International Criminal Law and Public International Law at Georg-August-University Göttingen. He serves as a Judge at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), The Hague and has been appointed as Advisor (Amicus Curiae) to the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace. In 2018 he received the price „Orden Carlos Lemos Simmonds“ for his involvement in the Colombian peace process. He is also list Counsel at the International Criminal Court. Furthermore, in 2023 he has been elected as member of DFG review board for Law.

Date: 14 July 2025

Time: 6.00-7.00 pm CET

The presentation will take place online via MS Teams. Please register below. The link and login data will be sent to those registered ahead of the event.

Registration:

Please fill in this form to register: https://forms.office.com/e/ZHKDBc5MBb

If you have any question, do not hesitate to contact Alexandra

Konecny (research assistant to Prof. Andreas Kulick)

akonecny@uni-mainz.de

TwoLaW is an online lecture series on the theory, history, policy and practice of the laws of war. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the Hamas’ attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict in the Middle East, rarely in recent memory have both the ius contra bellum and the ius in bello faced so many daunting challenges: use of force by and self-defence against non-state actors; the participation of private military companies in hostilities; the digitization of warfare; the protection of civilians and the environment in international, non-international and hybrid armed conflicts; peace agreements and post-conflict claims; international criminal responsibility before and beyond the ICC – to name but a few of them. TwoLaW invites engaging discussions on these matters, seeking to bring into dialogue the law on the prohibition of the use of force and international humanitarian law despite their necessary doctrinal separation.

TwoLaW provides a critical perspective on pertinent challenges of the laws of war, broadly understood, in light of their theoretical, doctrinal, historical and political implications. Each one-hour event features a thought-provoking presentation by a leading scholar in the first half hour followed by a discussion in the second half hour. All events are held exclusively online from 6-7 pm CET.