What is the International Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity (CRCM)?

The International Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity (CRCM) is an international agreement that seeks to prevent states from using time-limit statutes of limitations to avoid punishing individuals for committing war crimes or crimes against humanity. The agreement was adopted in 1968, and it is based on the principle of international law called jus cogens, or “higher law,” which holds that some human rights and duties are so essential to the international community that they cannot be overruled or suspended under any circumstances. Under the CRCM, any state party is obligated "to make provision in its domestic legislation for the prosecution of persons accused of…war crimes or crimes against humanity" and to "refrain from imposing any statutory limitations on the prosecution of war crimes or crimes against humanity." This means that states are not permitted to invoke the defense of "statute of limitations" to excuse themselves from punishing those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The CRCM has been ratified by several countries, including the United States, and is the foundation of many national laws in California and elsewhere. In California, for example, the Code of Civil Procedure specifically states that “no limitation of time shall be applicable to the prosecution or punishment of war crimes or crimes against humanity” as defined in the CRCM. The agreement therefore serves as an important protection for victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity, ensuring that perpetrators will be brought to justice regardless of how much time has passed since the alleged offense.

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What is the International Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity (CRCM)?

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