Why Criminalize Ecocide? Experts Weigh in

Sep 23, 2024 | Rebecca Hamilton
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What do engaged stakeholders imagine that the international criminalization of ecocide can achieve? International criminal law has various goals including deterrence, retribution, expressivism, and the creation of an accurate historical record. It also, and especially since the advent of the International Criminal Court, has the ability to capture the imagination of the global public to a degree that vastly outstrips its actual resources. One negative consequence of this misalignment is the risk that the international criminalization of any behavior raises expectations that exceed what international criminal law can provide.