The genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994 left an indelible mark on history. By Resolution 955 of 8 November 1994, the United Nations Security Council decided to establish the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for the prosecution of persons responsible for genocide or other serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Since then, the Tribunal has demonstrated its importance by playing an active role in the development of international criminal justice. Its work has been a catalyst in the reflections on and negotiations for the establishment of a permanent court. These reflections and negotiations culminated on 17 July 1998 in the signing of the Treaty of Rome instituting the International Criminal Court. The ICTR contribution to the Sierra Leone Special Court is equally important.

The Tribunal’s important contribution to the development of standards in international criminal law can only be fully realized when information regarding its work is fully and extensively disseminated. It is in fulfillment of this crucial requirement that the ICTR Legal Library committed itself to the publication of the "Basic Documents and Case Law" which contains the Tribunal’s basic documents and case law, as well as various United Nations documents on ICTR.

In the context of the Tribunal’s completion strategy, the present compilation covering period 1995-2006 is a precious supplement to the existing CD-ROM collection. Being the first of its kind, this publication is testimony to the Tribunal’s accomplishments and an important part of its legacy. The “ICTR Basic Documents and Case Law” serves as an invaluable reference tool for various legal professionals, law students, historians, and the general public. This unique publication offers the user an extensive panorama of the work and activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The ICTR “Basic Documents and Case Law” is part of the “Laïty Kama Law Library" collection, in honour of the first President of ICTR, Judge Laïty Kama. It is the Tribunal’s way of paying tribute to this unparalleled jurist whose expertise, authority and renown greatly contributed to ICTR’s development from an embryonic institution to a veritable legal entity, whose rulings and decisions carry much weight in international criminal law.

Adama Dieng
Assistant Secretary General
Registrar, ICTR