The Milosevic Trial: Lessons for the Conduct of Complex International Criminal Proceedings

When Slobodan Milosevic died in the United Nations Detention Unit in The Hague over four years after his trial had begun, many feared - and some hoped - that international criminal justice was experiencing some sort of death itself. Yet the Milosevic case, the first trial of a former head of state by a truly international criminal tribunal and one of the most complex and lengthy war crimes trials in history, stands for much in the development and the future of international criminal justice, both politically and legally. This book, written by the senior legal advisor working for the Trial Chamber, analyses the trial to determine what lessons can be learnt that will improve the fair and expeditious conduct of complex international criminal proceedings brought against former heads of state and senior political and military officials, and develops reforms for the future achievement of best practice in international criminal law.

Gideon Boas was the senior legal advisor to the Chamber on the Milo evic case. He is now a Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law, University of Melbourne, a Sessional Lecturer at Monash University, and a Senior Consultant at Potter Farrelly & Associates.