A Turbulent Adolescence Ahead: The ICC’s Insistence on Disclosure in the Lubanga Trial

The completion of the first trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was a great milestone for international criminal justice. Despite this obvious accomplishment, this article argues that the Trial Chamber’s solutions to two evidentiary problems will restrict the ICC’s potential to effectively hear future cases. First, this article presents the details behind the two evidentiary problems of disclosure: that of exculpatory confidential information and that of the identities of the prosecutor’s intermediaries. This analysis is exhaustive in order to highlight the challenges that the Prosecutor faced and the manner in which the ICC Chambers responded. The article then demonstrates how the Chamber’s focus on the fairness of the Lubanga trial has undermined the ICC’s greater goal of ending impunity and achieving accountability for international criminal acts. This article seeks to highlight two areas of concern for the ICC’s future as an international court which, if left unaddressed, may harm international justice disproportionately more than the benefits conferred upon it by the Lubanga case

Proactive Gatekeepers: The Jurisprudence of the ICC\u27s Pre-Trial Chambers

The Pre-Trial Chambers of the International Criminal Court have become critically important to its functioning. This Article identifies the trends that cut across the decisions of the ICC\u27s Pre-Trial Chambers. It argues that they have taken a proactive approach to judicial decision-making, analyzing each legal and factual question raised rather than deferring or punting issues to the Trial Chambers. It then explains how the expression of this proactive approach varies depending on whether the Chambers are maintaining, clarifying, or expanding the field of international criminal law

Understanding the United Nations Security Council’s Decisions to Initiate Atrocities Investigations

Since the end of the Cold War, the United Nations Security Council (‘UNSC’) has taken a leading role in investigating atrocities. Yet, the UNSC has only investigated atrocities committed in eleven out of the ninety-two states that have experienced atrocities during this period. This dissertation examines the reasons behind this disparity. To do so, this dissertation examines how past studies on atrocities investigations do not account for the work of the UNSC in this field, and how past studies on the UNSC cannot explain its actions on atrocities investigations. Instead, by relying on historical records and interviews with decision-makers, this dissertation argues that the UNSC’s decisions on which atrocities to investigate are committee projects, which can only be understood through the prism of the UNSC’s decision-making process. Because of the constraints imposed by the UNSC process, an atrocities investigation will take place only after (i) a diplomat brings specific atrocities to the attention of the UNSC, (ii) an independent commission of inquiry supports the creation of an atrocities investigation, and (iii) the UNSC members become comfortable with the text of the authorizing resolution. This dissertation examines the political decisions behind each of these three steps and highlights how the decision-making process guides and influences the UNSC’s actions. By doing so, it provides an explanation on the aforementioned double standard in the UNSC’s work vis-à-vis atrocities

International expert panel consensus on fat grafting of the breast

Background: Autologous fat grafting has broad applications in reconstructive and aesthetic breast surgery as a natural filler and for its regenerative purposes. Despite the widespread use of fat grafting, there remains no shared consensus on what constitutes the optimal fat grafting technique and its oncological safety. For this reason, the authors of this study have organized a Survey and an International Consensus Conference that was held at the Aesthetic Breast Meeting in Milan (December 15, 2018). Methods: All studies on fat grafting, both for breast aesthetic and reconstructive purposes, were electronically screened. The literature review led to 17 "key questions" that were used for the Survey. The authors prepared a set of 10 "key statements" that have been discussed in a dedicated face-to-face session during the meeting. Results: The 10 key statements addressed all the most debated topics on fat grafting of the breast. Levels of evidence for the key statements ranged from III to IV with 2 statements (20%) supported by a level of evidence III and 6 statements (60%) by level of evidence IV. Overall consensus was reached for 2 statements (20%) with >75% agreement reached for 7 statements. Conclusions: The survey demonstrated a diversity of opinion and attitude among the panelists with regard to technique. Clear recommendations for evidence-based clinical practice for fat grafting use both in aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery could not be defined due to the scarcity of level 1 or 2 studies

Proactive Gatekeepers: The Jurisprudence of the ICC\u27s Pre-Trial Chambers

The Pre-Trial Chambers of the International Criminal Court have become critically important to its functioning. This Article identifies the trends that cut across the decisions of the ICC\u27s Pre-Trial Chambers. It argues that they have taken a proactive approach to judicial decision-making, analyzing each legal and factual question raised rather than deferring or punting issues to the Trial Chambers. It then explains how the expression of this proactive approach varies depending on whether the Chambers are maintaining, clarifying, or expanding the field of international criminal law

The outcome after surgery in acute extradural hematomas compared to the Glasgow Coma Scale Score

The correlation coefficient and the regression equation between Coma score, the width of the extradural hematoma measured on the CT-scan and the outcome, were calculated with the help of the Minitab system in a population of 124 patients, who were subdivided into 21 groups according to their sex, age, and coma score. All patients in this study, suffering acute epidural hematoma, were admitted and underwent surgery at the Neurosurgical Clinic of "Apostolos Pavlos" Hospital in Athens during the period from 1.1.1978 to 31.12.1988. From the regression and correlation analysis we may conclude that: 1. - There is no statistical correlation between the coma score and the width of the extradural hematoma. 2. - The regression coefficient between the coma score and the width of the hematoma in the group of all patients and in the group of all male patients is statistically significant. The regression coefficients in all other groups of patients are not statistically significant. 3. - The final outcome of patients with acute extradural hematoma is not related to the width of the hematoma. 4. - The final outcome of patients with acute extradural hematoma depends on the come score prior surgery.Σε 124 ασθενείς που νοσηλεύτηκαν και χειρουργήθηκαν στη Νευροχειρουργική Κλινική του Νοσοκομείου "Απόστολος Παύλος" (ΚΑΤ), Αθήνα, κατά τη χρονική περίοδο από 1.1.1978 έως 31.12.1988, προσδιορίστηκαν ο βαθμός κώματος, το πάχος του αιματώματος και η έκβαση. Οι ασθενείς της μελέτης μας ταξινομήθηκαν σε 21 υποομάδες με βάση το φύλο, την ηλικία και το βαθμό κώματος. Η στατιστική επεξεργασία των αποτελεσμάτων, χρησιμοποιώντας το πρόγραμμα ΜΙΝΙΤΑΒ, αποκάλυψε ότι: 1. - Ο βαθμός κώματος και το πάχος του επισκληριδίου αιματώματος δεν παρουσιάζουν στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση. 2. - Η εξάρτηση του βαθμού κώματος με το πάχος του επισκληριδίου αιματώματος στην ομάδα του γενικού πληθυσμού και στην ομάδα των ανδρών ασθενών παρουσιάζει, στατιστικά σημαντικό συντελεστή εξάρτησης. Η επιμέρους ανάλυση των μεγάλων ομάδων σε μικρότερες ανάλογα με το βαθμό κώματος και την ηλικία δεν παρουσίασαν στατιστικά σημαντικό συντελεστή εξάρτησης. 3. - Η τελική έκβαση του ασθενούς με οξύ επισκληρίδιο αιμάτωμα δεν συσχετίζεται με το πάχος του αιματώματος. 4. - Η τελική έκβαση του ασθενούς με οξύ επισκληρίδιο αιμάτωμα εξαρτάται από το βαθμό κώματος προ του χειρουργείου