At the Canadian level, CPIJ coordinates this project initiated by the International Criminal Court to provide users around the world with a comprehensive virtual database of information and analysis related to international criminal law and justice.
The Legal Tools Project is a collection of legal information, digests and software that will enable users to work with international criminal law from wherever they are. The Canadian partners for the project are CCIJ, La Clinique de droit international pénal et humanitaire de l’Université de Laval, the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law – Common Law Section.
Three Main Components
The Legal Tools Database is a free, fully searchable database of information related to international criminal law, including domestic legislation and case law.
The Case Matrix is an application that aims to provide a body of knowledge and expertise to help those in the legal community dealing with cases involving core international crimes.
It provides users with a source of legal reference and analysis; it incorporates relevant information from the Legal Tools Database and provides access to the Elements Digest, Proceedings Digest and Means of Proof Digest.
It also acts as a database to organize and present information and evidence in cases involving core international crimes, providing an overview of the evidentiary status of a case at various stages (investigation, trial, appeal, judicial review).
The Case Matrix further provides a “User’s Guide” on how to prove international crimes through various modes of liability.
Finally the Project aims to develop a Case Matrix Network, to accompany the Case Matrix, to strengthen the ability of national jurisdictions to investigate and prosecute international crimes.
For more information, please visit the ICC Legal Tools Project website.
