Peace and justice are connected like Siamese twins and cannot be separated. International courts are a vital part of the international system. There must be support for the international legal framework.
The dilemma of peace v. justice is not a real conflict because these sides cannot be separated from one another. Since 1998 there has been increasing recognition of the links between these two issues. The Secretary General said in 2009 that the debate is no longer between peace and justice but between peace and the question of what kind of justice we desire. He has also emphasized that peace and justice go hand in hand and warlords cannot dictate the terms of peace.
The role of international courts and tribunals in interpreting and enforcing human rights laws is self-evident. The ICJ and ICC stand out as two very important systems. The ICC is for trying perpetrators of war crimes.
The responsibility to protect stands on a minimal understanding of the value of human life. The primary duty is with the individual states, but this should not deter the international community from intervening to a greater or lesser extent, where deemed necessary. Recent cases in various countries have brought this to the attention of the UN. The mandate of the international system is only connected to the high-end leaders and it is the responsibility of the state to settle the other questions.
States and international organisations should do more to support the international justice system. The recent financial problems of various tribunals shows that there is more room to support the activities of this system. On the one hand many political, judicial and cultural limitations have been placed on the activities of the system, but at the same time high expectations are placed on the results of these cases.