320 / 536
306
PAVEL CABAN
CYIL 7 ȍ2016Ȏ
IMMUNITY OF STATE OFFICIALS FROM FOREIGN
CRIMINAL JURISDICTION – EXCEPTIONS TO
IMMUNITY
RATIONE MATERIAE
Pavel Caban*
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
*
The article was written in the author’s private capacity.