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Article
It's Good to Be the King: Prosecuting Heads of State and Former Heads of State under International Law
Columbia Journal of Transnational Law
  • Mary Margaret Penrose, Texas A&M University School of Law
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2000
ISSN
0010-1931
Abstract

This Article criticizes historical practices regarding the prosecution of sitting and former heads of state. It argues that such persons should stand trial for their alleged crimes. However, as the Article illustrates, state practice and international law as they currently exist offer only limited help toward advancing this goal. Although the Pinochet precedent offers evidence that states may be shifting toward a willingness to prosecute heads of state, Professor Penrose advocates the enactment of prosecutorial rules and regulations and urges countries to take the necessary steps to create an international criminal court so that criminal defendants may be tried in a consistent manner in a judicial forum existing specifically for these purposes.

Publisher
Columbia Law School
Disciplines
Citation Information
Mary Margaret Penrose. "It's Good to Be the King: Prosecuting Heads of State and Former Heads of State under International Law" Columbia Journal of Transnational Law Vol. 39 Iss. 1 (2000) p. 193 - 220
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/m_meg_penrose/40/