THE NUREMBERG PRINCIPLES, 1946
Principles of International Law Recognized in the
Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal As
formulated by the International Law Commission, June-July 1950.
Principle
I
Any person who commits an act which constitutes a
crime under international law is responsible therefore and liable to
punishment.
Principle
II
The fact that internal law does not impose a penalty
for an act which constitutes a crime under international law does not
relieve the person who committed the act from responsibility under
international law.
Principle
III
The fact that a person who committed an act which
constitutes a crime under international law acted as Head of State or
responsible government official does not relieve him from responsibility
under international law.
Principle
IV
The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his
Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under
international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.
Principle
V
Any person charged with a crime under international
law has the right to a fair trial on the facts and law.
Principle
VI
The crimes hereinafter set out are punishable as
crimes under international law:
a) Crimes
against peace;
(i) Planning,
preparation, initiation or waging of a war
of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties,
agreements or assurances;
(ii) Participation
in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishments of
any of the acts mentioned under (i).
b) War
crimes:
Violations of the laws or customs of war which
include, but are not limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to
slave-labour or for any other purpose of civilian population of or in
occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons
on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property,
wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not
justified by military necessity.
c) Crimes
against humanity:
Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and
other inhuman acts done against any civilian population, or persecutions
on political, racial or religious grounds, when such acts are done or such
persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connexion
with any crime against peace or any war crime.
Principle
VII
Complicity
in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime
against humanity as set forth in Principle VI is a crime under
international law.
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