The term "international crime" is a collective term for certain extremely serious violations of international law such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. In Sweden, for example, charges have been brought for international crimes committed in Iran in 1988. Photo: Charles Wollertz/Mostphotos

Although none of the Scandinavian countries have had armed conflicts on their soil since the Second World War, there are in Scandinavia at present war criminals, and witnesses and victims of atrocity crimes. The crimes have been committed in different situations outside Scandinavia and it is only lately that the investigation and prosecution of these crimes have gained adequate attention.

Volume 66 of Scandinavian Studies in Law, "Investigation and Prosecution in Scandinavia of International Crimes", published in September 2020, presents 21 articles on the investigation and prosecution in Scandinavia of international crimes. The articles present decisions and cases tried at domestic level in a thematic manner, by examining some overarching questions. For instance, to what extent and how international law sources are considered and/or implemented in the Scandinavian countries and how the objectives of international criminal law are brought into action.

Contributions from both junior and senior researchers

Book cover of Investigation and Prosecution in Scandinavia of International Crimes.

The volume is organized into five parts: Introduction, General Principles and Matters of Criminal Law, International Crimes, Procedural Matters, and Comparative Outlook. Several of the contributions are from researchers from the Department of Law, Stockholm University, namely Mark Klamberg, Hevi Dawody Nylén, Fanny Holm, Axel Holmgren, Dennis Martinsson and Erik Svensson.

The general editor of the book series Scandinavian Studies in Law is Lydia Lundstedt, Senior Lecturer in Private International Law. The scientific coordinator for this volume has been Professor Mark Klamberg, Stockholm University.