The criminalisation of atrocity crimes in Danish criminal law

Abstract in EnglishFor many years, despite its status as a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, international crimes suchas genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture were not individually criminalised under the Danish Penal Code. However, this changed on 1 January 2025 when the new Chapter 13 of the Danish Penal Code, concerning certain international crimes, entered into force. This article examines the considerations underlying the insertion of the new criminal provisions into the Danish Penal Code. Thereafter, it analyses each of the provisions with a special focus on the differences and similarities between the Danish legislation, provisions in Swedish and Norwegian national legislation, and the Rome Statute. Finally, the article discusses the importance of the intro duction of domestic legislation for the criminalisation of atrocity crimes in Denmark, and for international criminal justice. Abstract in DanishInternationale forbrydelser som fx folkedrab, krigsforbrydelser og tortur har eksisteret i mange år, men uden at de har været særskiltkriminaliseret i den danske straffelov. Dette ændrede sig dog den 1. januar 2025, hvor straffelovens nye kapitel 13a om visse internationale forbrydelser trådte i kraft. Artiklen undersøger tankerne og hen synene bag indsættelsen af de nye straffebestemmelser og analyserer derefter de enkelte bestemmelser med fokus på forskelle og ligheder mellem den danske lovgivning og lignende artikler i Rom Statutten samt bestemmelser i norsk og svensk ret. Endelig diskuteres vigtigheden af en national kriminalisering af internationale forbrydelser – både for Danmark og for den internationale strafferet.