Application of the principle of legality, right to a fair trial and other protected rights in core international crimes cases : selected case-law of the European Court of Human Rights

This report outlines the most prominent cases in which the European Court of Human Rights evaluated the application of Article 7 of the ECHR. These decisions confirmed that the retroactive application of domestic criminal law is, in certain cases, possible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide. Furthermore, the report also delves into other protected rights under the ECHR, examining the application of universal jurisdiction in regard to the right to a fair trial, along with the duty of a state to effectively investigate these crimes, and fair trial guarantees for the purpose of extradition. The aim of this report is to offer national authorities comprehensive expertise on the matter and encourage them to explore the legal possibility of conducting investigations and subsequent pros¬ecutions of core international crimes even if the acts in question have been committed prior to the implementation of the relevant provisions in their national legislation.