Persons responsible for arresting or prosecuting George Bush when he comes to Canada Oct 20 – 22 say “not my responsibility. I don’t have jurisdiction. It’s International Law (or whatever)”.
I am annoyed at myself for forgetting this which I read when first getting into the question of Lockheed Martin’s involvement in the Canadian census. They were manufacturers of land mines and cluster munitions, in contravention of International conventions that Canada has signed onto. There should be economic sanctions against them, not the awarding of Government contracts. (Lockheed Martin also has a long, long list of court convictions. They break the law all the time.)
But back to Bush: these officials in Canada DO have jurisdiction and responsibility for the arrest and prosecution of George W Bush under the Principle in International Law called Complementarity. The explanation of the Principle is simple. Please spread it around, especially to people in the justice system, including the police. Thanks.
COMPLEMENTARITY
Michael Byers holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
From his book, “Intent for a Nation” (2007)
Page 111:
“Countries that ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court take on certain obligations. Prominent among these is the obligation to investigate and prosecute, under their domestic criminal laws, any individual located on their territory who is accused of any crime prohibited by the statute. This is because the International Criminal Court operates on the basis of a principle called “complementarity,” whereby most prosecutions are supposed to take place in domestic courts. The International Criminal Court steps in only when it deems that the relevant domestic court is unable or unwilling to fulfill that role, or when the UN Security Council refers a situation directly to it.
In 2000, the Canadian Parliament adopted legislation implementing the Rome Statute into Canadian law. The Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act provides Canadian domestic courts with jurisdiction over a wide range of international crimes, regardless of the nationality of the alleged perpetrator or the location where he or she allegedly committed the crime. The act also goes further than the Rome Statute by providing jurisdiction retroactively over crimes.”