The Charter and Judgment of the Nürnberg Tribunal ...

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A/CN.4/5 The Charter and Judgment of the N?rnberg Tribunal ? History and Analysis:

Memorandum submitted by the Secretary-General

Topic:

Formulation of the N?rnberg Principles

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THE CHARTER AND JUDGMENT

OF TIlE NURNBERG TRIBUNAL

HISTORY AND ANALYSIS

(Memorandum submitted by the Secretary-General)

United Nations - General Assembly International Law Commission Lake Success, New York 1949

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION

.

V

PART 1. SURVEY OF THE NURNBERG CHARTER AND TRIAL

1. The Moscow Declaration, 1943...... . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

2. The London Agreement, 1945. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3. The Charter of the International Military Tribunal. . . .

4

4. The indictment

5

5. The trial

........................

6

6. The judgment and serxtence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

PART H. CONSIDERATION IN THE UNITED NATIONS OF PLANS FOR THE FORMULATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NiiRNBERG CHARTER AND JUDGMENT

I. The second part of the first session of the General Assembly (23 October to 16 December 1946) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11

2. The Committee on the Progressive Development of International Law and its Codification (12 May to 17 June 1947)

A. Summary of proceedings. . . ..

15

B. Resume of discussions on the main points at issue. . . . . . .. 19

(1) The question of the competence of the Committee: deyis~ng plam for the formulation of the Niirnberg

prmoples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19

(2) A. ~aft conven~ion incorporating the Niirnberg pnncIples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21

(3) General codification )f offences against the peace and

security of mankind, and/or an international criminal

code

21

(4) :rh~. 9u~stion of an internation'al court of criminal

JunsdlctlOn

23

(5) The proposal of the Polish representative relating to

war propaganda

29

3. The second session of the General Assembly (16 September to

29 November 1947)

, 30

PART HI. ApPLICATION OF THE CHARTER BY THE NiiRNBERG TRIBUNAL

I. Legal nature of the Charter

37

2. Criminal responsibility of individuals under international law.

Acts of State. Superior orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39

A. Objections of the defence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39

B. Contentions of the prosecution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 40

C. Findings of the Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 41

3. International crimes in general

42

iii

4. Crimes against peace

Page

A. Categories of crimes against peace . .

. 46

B. Awessive war

. 47

C. War in violation of international treaties, agreements or

assurances

. 49

D. The common plan or conspiracy

(1) Contentions of the prosecution

:

. 50 . 50

(2) Objections vf the defence

. 51

(3) Findings of the Court . . . . . . . . . . . .

.

(a) Common, concrete planning

. 51 . 53

(b) Objectiye of conspiracy

.

55

E. Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a criminal

war

55

(1) Planning and preparation. . ..

56

(2) Initiation

58

(3) Waging 5. War crimes

A. Definition B. War crimes as violations of the laws or customs of war

58

. 61

. 62

6. Crimes agaimt humanity A. Definition

. 65

B. General declaration of tbe Court as to crimes against humanity ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 66

C. Categories of crimes against humanity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 67

D. Requirement that crimes against humanity be connected

with crimes against peace or war crimes. . . . . . .

, 68

E. Superiority of article 6 (c) over internal law. . . . . . . . . . .. 69

F. Persons capable of committing crimes against humanity.. 70

G. Crimes against humanity and existing international law .. , 70

7. Responsibility of leaders, organizers, instigators and accom-

plices

, 72

8. Criminal organization~

A. Provisions of the Charter

. 74

B. Contentions of the prosecution . . .

.

. 75

C. Objections of the defence

. 76

D. Findings of the Court

. 76

9. Jurisdiction

,

. 79

Addendum:

The trial of major Japanese war criminals

. 81

Appendices:

I. Moscow Declaration on German atrocities of 30 October

1943

. 87

n. Agreement for the establishment of an international mili-

tary tribunal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 89

iv

Introduction

The General Assembly, at its second session, on 21 November 1917, adopted a resolution (177 (II? in which it entrusted the formulation of the principles of international law recognized in the Charter of the Nfirnberg Tribunal and in the judgment of the Tribunal to the Interna.tional Law CoIIJJcission. The resolution reads as follows:

Formulation of the principles recognized in the Charter of the Nilrnberg Tribunal and in the judgment of the Tribunal

The General Assembly

Decides to entrust the formulation of thr. principles of international law recognized in the Charter of the Niirnberg Tribunal and in the judgment of the Tribunal to the International Law Commission, the members of which wil!, in accordance with resolution 174 (Il), be elected at the next session of the General Assembly, and

Directs the Commission to

(a) Formulate the principles of international law recognized in the Charter of the Niirnberg Tribunal :md in the judgment of the Tribunal, and

(b) Prepare a draft code of offences against the peace and security of mankind, indicating clearly th.e place to be accorded to the principles mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above.

By another resolutiun adopted on the same day (175 (II?, the General Assembly instructed the Secretary-C ~eral to do the necessary preparatory work for the beginning of the activity of the Intemational Law Commission. The following is the text of this resolution:

Preparation by the Secreta.riat of the work of the International Law Commission

The General Assembly,

Considering that, in accordance with Article 98 of the Charter, the Secretary-General performs all such functions as are entrusted to him by the organs of the United Nations;

Considering that, in the interval between the first and the second sessionf of the General Assembly, the Secretariat of the Un:ted Nations contributed to the study of problems concerning the progressive development of intemationallaw and its codification;

Instructs the Secretary-General to do the necessary Dreparatory work for .the beginning of the activity of the International Law ?Commission, particularly with regard to the questions referred to it by the second session of the General Assembly, such as the draft declaration on the rights and duties of States.

The present memorandum is prepared in pursuance of the above-quoted resolution?

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