Moving Towards an International Criminal Justice System

The terrible thing about terrorism is that ultimately it destroys those who practice it. Slowly but surely, as they try to extinguish life in others, the light within them dies. --Terry Waite (b. 1939) British religious adviser, hostage in Lebanon

The world we live in has become one ridden with crime and terrorism. With these events forever changing the lives of individuals throughout the world, the argument has been raised as to whether or not we should implement a true international criminal justice system. While doing so would open a lot of doors for the fight against terror, it could easily open doors for the loss of national sovereignty of those countries that chose to be involved. Many questions have been raised and many questions have yet to be answered.

The implementation of a true international criminal justice system would require a lot of thought, planning and training. Would laws in each country throughout the world have to be changed to suit one another? How much authority would this system actually possess? And how can the nations involve participate while still having a sense of individuality? None of these questions have a clear, easy answer. However, in time, we can hopefully strive to obtain true justice throughout the world.

With the terror threat at an all time high, government officials have to keep an open mind on ways to prevent future attacks and the process of prosecuting detained terror suspects. With the impact a terrorist attack like that of September 11, 2001 has on a country, allowing an impartial, international system of justice to prosecute and punish those responsible for the horrible tragedies that can result from only one act of terrorism must be considered. By prosecuting individuals in the countries where their attacks took place, we run the risk of not giving one a fair and impartial trial. When personal feelings are involved, especially those resulting from a horrific event such as 9/11, it is difficult to remain impartial and recognize Sixth Amendment rights.