On 9 May 2006 the ICJ launched its Expert Legal Panel on Corporate Complicity in International Crimes.
The Panel, comprised of eight eminent lawyers from across the globe, will define and clarify when corporations can, and should be, held accountable for their involvement in international crimes such as torture, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
“There is an increasing call to hold companies legally accountable when they help governments, armed groups or even other companies, to carry out some of the worst violations of human rights,” said Nicholas Howen, ICJ Secretary-General. “This Panel will help businesses, litigators, governments, the United Nations and NGOs understand, and be able to act, when corporations have crossed the line and have become participants in serious violations of international law. The Panel will define principles and will demonstrate that businesses are not operating in a law-free zone.”
This unique ICJ Panel brings together some of the most renowned lawyers in public international law and other legal disciplines: corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, international humanitarian law, human rights law and labour law.
During the next 12 months, on the basis of expert legal research, a call for submissions and consultations with key groups such as corporate lawyers, litigators, trade unions and governments, the Panel will extrapolate and set out existing and emerging international legal principles on the complicity of business in international crimes.
Expert Legal Panel begins-press release-2006 (text, PDF)
Composition of Expert Legal Panel: Expert Legal Panel composition-press release-2006 (full text, PDF)
