The chapter headings of this handbook provide a good indication of the meaning of the term ‘international criminal law’. Nevertheless, it is not a simple matter to furnish a succinct definition. The French language distinguishes between droit international pénal and droit pénal international. The difference between the two terms seems to reside largely in the types of crimes they address. Thus, droit pénal international refers to a body of law governing relationships between states in the suppression of so-called ordinary crimes, such as murder and rape, as well as organized criminal activity when it takes on an international dimension. By contrast, droit inter national pénal is focussed.
