Regional Complementarity in International Criminal Law

This research advances the field of international criminal justice by proposing a holistic framework to organize legal pluralism within the emerging four-tiered justice paradigm—domestic, hybrid, regional, and international courts. It shifts the focus from universalism to contextual organizing principles, introducing the concept of ’system of justice‘ to better navigate overlapping jurisdictions. The study argues that regionalism is not a threat but a vital asset to international criminal justice, and it calls for a move beyond the ICC’s narrow complementarity criteria. By promoting principles like collaboration, deference and division of labour, it reimagines complementarity through a more inclusive, functional and cooperative lens.