Crimes Against Humanity - A Motion to Elicit Convictions in Australia

In Australia, there has never been a successful prosecution for crimes against humanity. One of the reasons for this is that prosecution for crimes against humanity requires approval by the federal Attorney-General of Australia. This research thesis examines the legal legitimacy and efficacy of the requirement for the Attorney-General's consent in relation to crimes against humanity prosecutions, and whether this is desirable from the normative and jurisprudential perspective. Further, drawing from the crimes against humanity regimes in other Commonwealth nations such as the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, this thesis proposes reform to the Australian crimes against humanity regime.