Pirates in Suits: Carl Schmitt, ‘Ordinary Businessmen’ and Crimes of Aggression

2019/08/28 by Valentin Jeutner · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · Psychology · #War, Ethics, and Justification #Political Theology and Sovereignty #International Law and Human Rights #Scrutiny #Law #Jurisdiction #Nuremberg trials #Element (criminal law) #Aggression #Political science #International law #Sociology #War crime #Criminology #Psychology #Social psychology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1163/15718107-08803004

openalex publication_date 2019/08/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The article critically appraises Carl Schmitt’s 1945 expert opinion on The International Crime of the War of Aggression and the Principle ‘ nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege’ . Each element of Carl Schmitt’s expert opinion is subjected to close scrutiny and contextualised with references, where appropriate, to the icc ’s recently acquired jurisdiction to try crimes of aggression. It is shown that Schmitt’s legal arguments are on the whole tenable but that the expert opinion’s assumptions about the position of the ability of ‘ordinary’ citizens to assess their own actions are very problematic.

Cited by

• Carl Schmitt [wikipedia]

Related

• The ICC and the Crime of Aggression: Justiciability of an Act of Aggression
• At the Origins of Crimes Against Humanity: Clues to a Proper Understanding of the Nullum Crimen Principle in the Nuremberg Judgment
• Imperfect Justice at Nuremberg and Tokyo
• The Scholarship: Resistance and Development
• The trials of imperialism: Radhabinod Pal’s dissent at the Tokyo tribunal