On the Origins of Individual Criminal Responsibility under International Law for Business Activity

摘要

Over 60 years ago, the top management of the then largest corporation in Europe, the German conglomerate, IG Farben, stood trial before a US Military Tribunal sitting at Nuremberg. The trial brought to light the company’s deep involvement in Nazi crimes. The article presents the background of this landmark case, analyses the findings of the Tribunal and contextualizes the judgment from the perspectives of legal policy and contemporary history. The article concludes that the Farben case represents the first attempt to hold individuals accountable for their business activity under international criminal law and, thus, is a significant starting point for efforts, both academic and practical, to deal with individual criminal responsibility of business leaders today.