Spain's Expanded Universal Jurisdiction to Prosecute Human Rights Abuses in Latin America, China, and Beyond

Abstract

In a significant 2005 case, Spain's Constitutional Tribunal held that Spanish courts had the universal jurisdiction to prosecute mass atrocities committed by foreigners abroad despite the lack of any link to Spain. The article examines universal jurisdiction in Spain and its implications for international relations in the aftermath of the Constitutional Tribunal's controversial decision.

Keywords: universal jurisdiction, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, international relations