Mark Kersten, Researcher, Munk School of Global Affairs University of Toronto

Mark Kersten is a researcher, teacher and consultant currently based at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Canada. Mark holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics (2014). In 2011, Mark founded the blog Justice in Conflict ( ), which regularly publishes articles on the challenges of pursuing accountability and justice in the context of ongoing violent political conflicts. Mark's research features regularly in publications such as Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, and the Globe and Mail. He has taught courses on genocide studies, the politics of international law, diplomacy, and conflict and peace studies at the London School of Economics and SOAS. In addition, Mark is the Director of Research at the Wayamo Foundation.

"Kersten provides a compelling and perceptive examination of one of international criminal justice's most difficult conundrums... It is remarkable, I think, that after having produced one of the most sophisticated recent studies on the debate, Kersten arrives at the following conclusion: there may never be a consensus regarding the effects of the ICC on peace, justice and conflict processes." -- Christof Royer (University of St Andrews), International Affairs Book Reviews

"This outstanding book is one of very few sustained studies of the operation of the International Criminal Court and its role in international politics. Kersten makes two critical contributions to existing scholarship: a sophisticated and nuanced theorisation of relationship between peace and justice, and an analysis of the ways in which the Office of the Prosecutor negotiates its own interests alongside the interests of States Parties and the UN Security Council, which have profound effects on target selection and therefore on the quality of justice delivered. Written in a clear and engaging style and based on extensive first-hand research, it will be invaluable to students, scholars and practitioners who want to understand why the ICC behaves as it does and what the impact of the Court is upon conflict, peace and international politics." -Kirsten Ainley, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for International Studies, London School of Economics

"Kersten's book is highly recommended reading for all those who are interested in the ICC, and indeed in international courts in general, and who wish to develop a clearer understanding of how the court functions in a political context." - Joanna Nicholson, Nordic Journal of Human Rights

"The book contains a remarkable 43-page bibliography that will be an asset in the hands of scholars, practitioners and policymakers in the areas of international criminal justice, conflict resolution and peace and conflict studies. This value is reinforced by the analytical index, the list of interviews and a series of tables summarizing the ICC interventions and the main arguments provided by the author." - Mabel González Bustelo, Global Policy