Evaluating Models of Victim Participation at the International Criminal Court

本研究对500多名参与国际刑事法院（ICC）案件的受害者进行了深度访谈，以了解受害者参与战争罪、危害人类罪和种族灭绝罪审判的经历。2002年成立时，国际刑事法院被誉为一种新型的国际法院，它将为受害者伸张正义，并惩罚肇事者。然而，没有研究调查过受害者为什么申请参与，他们如何看待参与项目，或者他们希望通过参与实现什么。这项研究将通过评估不同刑事案件中使用的参与模式来填补这一空白。它将有助于越来越多关于程序公平和尊重法院参与者及其更广泛社区的重要性的文献。这项研究将分三个阶段完成：(1)与国际刑事法院在海牙的主要工作人员和法官面谈，以及审查与受害者参与有关的动议和裁决；(2)对受害参与人的访谈；法律顾问；以及国际商会在刚果民主共和国、肯尼亚和乌干达的外地工作人员；(3)向法院和受害者社区撰写、出版和展示调查结果。该研究的实地工作将以英语、法语和一些当地语言进行，研究人员将采用有意抽样的方法，包括来自各个病例的受影响社区的成员，包括不同种族群体的成员，包括男性和女性。通过首次记录受害者参加国际刑事法院审判的亲身经历，这项研究将深入了解受害者参与的社会心理动态，以便加强法院的运作。

This study uses in-depth interviews with more than 500 victims involved in cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to understand victims' experiences participating in trials for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. When established in 2002, the International Criminal Court was hailed as a new type of international court, one that would promote justice for victims as well as punishing perpetrators. Yet no studies have examined why victims apply to participate, how they view participation programs, or what they hope to achieve through their participation. This research will fill that gap by evaluating participation models used in different criminal cases. It will contribute to a growing literature on the importance of procedural fairness and respect for court participants and their broader communities.The study will be completed in three phases: (1) interviews with key ICC staff and judges in The Hague, as well as an examination of motions and rulings pertaining to victim participation; (2) interviews with victim participants; their legal counsel; and ICC field staff in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda; and (3) report writing, publication, and presentation of findings to the Court and victims' communities. Fieldwork for the study will be conducted in English, French, and a number of local languages, and researchers will use an intentional sampling method to include members from affected communities across the cases, including members of differing ethnic groups, and both men and women. By documenting for the first time the lived experiences of victims' participating in trials at the International Criminal Court, the study will provide insight into the social-psychological dynamics of victim participation in order to strengthen the functioning of the Court.