Retributive and Restorative Justice: Where does International Criminal Law stand today?

International criminal law has come a long way from the post-World War II trials to the diverse justice responses that exist today. In a time where wars of aggression are still waged and mass atrocity crimes continue to be committed, the question of which punitive model serves best the interest of justice, is pressing. This is not only of academic but also of great practical importance. Only when understanding the benefits and limitations of different justice models, it is possible to estimate the impact international criminal justice mechanisms might have. Especially when looking at post-conflict societies, one might come to see that the sole reliance on a retributive justice approach does not sufficiently assist in overcoming a violent past and bring about peace. In this contribution, we will take a closer look at how the underlying notion of justice, a fundamental aspect of this still young field of law, is increasingly shifting. We will ultimately try to answer the question of where contemporary international criminal law stands today and how it should develop in the future.