History Extra podcast “You can’t kill and maim with impunity”: the powerful legacy of Nuremberg
Dec 7, 2025
Philippe Sands, a prominent lawyer and author specializing in international law, delves into the legacy of the Nuremberg Trials. He discusses how these historic proceedings shaped international justice and examines ongoing challenges, including contemporary conflicts and the ICC's role. The conversation touches on the evolution of genocide laws, command responsibility, and the call for ecocide to be recognized as a crime. Sands emphasizes the enduring significance of Nuremberg in combating impunity for war crimes today.
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Why The Emperor Wasn’t Tried
- The Tokyo tribunal ran in parallel to Nuremberg but avoided prosecuting the Japanese emperor for political reasons.
- Sands notes this decision helped facilitate Japan's postwar recovery and was an exercise of victor's justice.
Prosecutions Persist Over Generations
- Trials for Nazi-era crimes continued for decades and are only now winding down as perpetrators age.
- Sands highlights ongoing prosecutions in Germany for very elderly suspects like camp guards and bureaucrats.
1990s Conflicts Rebooted International Justice
- The 1990s wars in Rwanda and Yugoslavia revived international criminal justice and led to ad hoc tribunals.
- Those tribunals then catalyzed negotiations that produced the Rome Statute and the ICC.
