The Kurdistan Center for International Law (KCIL) has completed a
significant milestone in integrating international criminal law into Kurdistan
criminal justice system. Over the course of two years, KCIL, with the
invaluable expertise of two academic experts, has drafted "The Act of
Combatting and Punishment of International Crimes (ACPIC)." This significant
piece of legislation represents a concerted effort to address and combat
international crimes. The ACPIC draft has undergone a rigorous development
process that involved extensive research, workshops, discussions, and
international collaboration.
The drafting of the ACPIC involved several activities conducted
since the beginning of 2022. It started with an in-depth research and baseline
assessment to compare various approaches for integrating international crimes
into domestic criminal justice systems. This research served as the foundation
for the ACPIC draft, ensuring it was rooted in the most current and effective
methodologies and approaches. After drafting it by the experts, it was shared
in workshops with judges, public prosecutors and legal experts in Erbil and
Sulaymaniyah. The draft has also been presented in part and discussed with
Kurdistan Parliament. KCIL actively engaged with Kurdistan Parliament, seeking
input and support for the ACPIC draft. Furthermore, certain aspects of the
ACPIC were discussed in two International Workshops (Germany 2022, Netherlands
2023). These workshops allowed for the exposure of the draft to a wider
international audience and facilitated valuable feedback from a few global
experts in international criminal law. Additionally, KCIL shared the ACPIC
draft with a select group of international experts and organizations, inviting
comments and feedback. This collaborative approach ensured that the draft
benefitted from a diverse range of perspectives and insights.
The
ACPIC draft has now been finalized in three languages: Arabic, Kurdish, and
English.
For Arabic version, click here