Accountability Quote by Erna Paris
““In our tribunal, we look only at personal criminal responsibility in a very tightly defined, narrow way and we demand proof beyond a resonable doubt about the involvement of the individual. We do no have a mandate to establish the moral responsibility of those who saw things happen and did nothing, including people who might have had the capacity to stop the process and did nothing. But we have to be careful in thinking that just because we focus on individual criminal guilt we therefore absolve the community. The old distinctions are too simplistic when we move up the chain of command and witness the merging of the collectivity into the personae of these charismatic political and military leaders.' -Louise Arbour, Chief Prosecutor for International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia””
About This Quote
Source Speech: International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, 1999
Legal focus on individual guilt can overlook collective moral responsibility.
In simple terms: Law often targets individuals, ignoring group culpability.
Key Takeaway
Consider both individual and collective accountability.
Themes
law
morality
collective responsibility
justice
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
legal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- court trials
- human rights investigations
- policy making
- military command structures
Key Concepts
Legal theory
ethical responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can legal systems address collective wrongdoing?
- What safeguards prevent moral disengagement?
A Different Perspective
Proving collective guilt is legally complex.
