Exploring the Potential Inclusion of Environmental Destruction as an International Crime: Examining the Scope of International Legal Accountability for Environmental Harm within the Framework of the Rome Statute

Authors

  • Kamran Khan Lecturer, Department of Law, Edwardes College Peshawar
  • Prof. Shujat Ali Khan Professor, Department of Law, Edwardes College Peshawar
  • Maryam Qasim Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Dir Upper

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1234/pjlaw.v2i02.78

Keywords:

Environmental protection, International Criminal Court, Rome Statute, Mens rea, Ecocide.

Abstract

This article emphasises the need of improving environmental protection through the application of international criminal law, as described in the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute. After offering a brief summary of how international criminal law treats environmental protection during both times of war and peace, it is clear that the existing system falls short of maintaining effective environmental safeguards. This study contends that there is no compelling reason in international criminal law to regard environmental harm differently depending on whether it happens during war or peacetime. Instead, it indicates that using an eco-centric approach to environmental protection, which prioritises the environment over human interests, will improve environmental protection more successfully. As a result, the paper proposes for the Rome Statute to include a new comprehensive and eco-centric international crime targeting environmental harm. The paper then examines previous suggestions for such a crime and provides insights into its distinctive qualities. It focuses on identifying the level of severity necessary for the new crime and defines the fundamental mental state (mens rea) conditions that must be met.

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Published

30.09.2023

How to Cite

Kamran Khan, Prof. Shujat Ali Khan, & Maryam Qasim. (2023). Exploring the Potential Inclusion of Environmental Destruction as an International Crime: Examining the Scope of International Legal Accountability for Environmental Harm within the Framework of the Rome Statute. PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF LAW, ANALYSIS AND WISDOM, 2(02), 413–431. https://doi.org/10.1234/pjlaw.v2i02.78

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