Justice based on the rule of law is intended to ensure peace and stability, its achievement however poses a major challenge in a world made up of sovereign states committed to the pursuit of their national interests by using their powers. The two world wars brought major transformations to the notion of international law by making individuals, irrespective of their official positions, answerable for their actions and liable for prosecution. The various international tribunals set up to try and punish war crimes and crimes deemed to be against humanity, such as genocides, have however somtimes failed the test of impartiality due to the questionable definitions of the charges that they were mandated to investigate.
