CYIL Vol. 7, 2016

PAVEL CABAN CYIL 7 ȍ2016Ȏ IMMUNITY OF STATE OFFICIALS FROM FOREIGN CRIMINAL JURISDICTION – EXCEPTIONS TO IMMUNITY RATIONE MATERIAE Abstract: This article focuses on arguments concerning the existence and scope of exceptions to immunity ratione materiae of state officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction and defends the existence of such exceptions. This topic is part of a broader topic of immunity of state officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction, which is currently on the agenda of the International Law Commission. Arguments justifying general exception to immunity ratione materiae are examined, namely those according to which the existence of such an exception is based in the development of rules providing for the exercise of national extraterritorial (universal) criminal jurisdiction over crimes, which, by definition, have to be or usually are committed in an official capacity and for which individual criminal liability is envisaged under international law. In addition, another possible exception to immunity ratione materiae , which should cover cases where an “official crime” is perpetrated in the territory of the State which exercises jurisdiction, and various possible concepts which could provide legal basis for such a “territorial” exception to immunity, are discussed. Some connected issues are briefly touched upon, such as the (non)-existence of exception to immunity ratione personae of state officials and unity of (or differences between) the regimes of customary and treaty-based immunity ratione materiae. Finally, the relationship between immunity ratione materiae and attribution of conduct to a State under international law, as a criterion for distinguishing between the ‘official’ and ‘private’ conduct of state officials, is examined. Resumé: Cílem tohoto článku je popsat argumenty týkající se existence a rozsahu výjimek z imunity ratione materiae státních úředníků vůči cizí trestní jurisdikci a pokusit se obhájit existenci těchto výjimek. Toto téma je součástí širšího tématu imunit státních úředníků vůči cizí trestní jurisdikci, kterým se v současnosti zabývá Komise OSN pro mezinárodní právo. V článku jsou posuzovány argumenty odů- vodňující obecnou výjimku z imunity ratione materiae , zejména argumenty, podle nichž je existence této výjimky založena na existenci pravidel upravujících výkon extrateritoriální (universální) trestní jurisdikce nad zločiny, jež, z definice, musejí být spáchány nebo jsou obvykle páchány v úředním postavení a za něž jsou jejich pachatelé odpovědni podle mezinárodního práva. Pozornost je dále věnována dru- hé případně existující výjimce z imunity ratione materiae , která se má vztahovat Pavel Caban*

* The article was written in the author’s private capacity.

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