Hans-Peter Kaul facts for kids

Hans-Peter Kaul (born July 25, 1943 – died July 21, 2014) was a German expert in international law. He was also a former diplomat and an international judge. From 2003 to 2014, he worked as a judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This court deals with very serious international crimes. At the ICC, Judge Kaul was the head of the Pre-Trial Division twice. He also served as the Court's Vice-President from 2009 to 2012. He left the ICC in 2014 due to health problems and passed away shortly after.

Early Life and Education

Hans-Peter Kaul was born on July 25, 1943, in Glashütte, a town in Germany. He spent some of his childhood in Glashütte and Zwickau, which were in East Germany at the time. In 1952, when he was nine years old, he and his parents moved to West Germany.

After serving in the military from 1963 to 1967, where he became a captain, he decided to study law. He went to Heidelberg University and finished his first law exams in 1971. He also studied in Paris at the École nationale d'administration, a famous school for public service. In 1975, he passed his final law exams in Heidelberg, which allowed him to practice law.

From 1973 to 1975, Kaul worked as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. This institute studies different legal systems around the world. In 1974, he also attended the The Hague Academy of International Law, a place where people learn about international law.

Hans-Peter Kaul's Career

In 1975, Hans-Peter Kaul began working for the German government as a diplomat. His job was to represent Germany in other countries. From 1977 to 1980, he worked at the German Embassy in Norway. He was a Consul, which means he helped German citizens living there, and a Press Attaché, meaning he handled news and media.

Later, he worked at the Federal Foreign Office in Bonn, Germany. He dealt with matters related to the United Nations. He also served in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. In these roles, he was often a spokesperson or a political advisor.

In 1993, he returned to the United States. He worked at Germany's mission to the United Nations in New York. This was important because Germany was a temporary member of the UN Security Council at that time. From 1996 to 2002, he led the International Law Division at the Federal Foreign Office.

Working for the International Criminal Court

From 1996 to 2003, Hans-Peter Kaul played a very important part in creating the International Criminal Court (ICC). He led the German team that helped write the Rome Statute, which is the treaty that set up the ICC. Many people believe that without his hard work, the ICC might not have been created. In 2002, he became an Ambassador and a special representative for the ICC.

In 2003, Hans-Peter Kaul was chosen to be the first German judge at the International Criminal Court. He was re-elected in 2006 for another nine-year term. As a judge, he worked in the Pre-Trial Division. This division decides if there is enough evidence to start a trial. He worked on cases from many countries, including Libya, Uganda, and Kenya.

Important Work and Beliefs

Judge Kaul wrote many articles and books about international law. He was especially interested in international criminal law and something called the "crime of aggression."

Since 1997, Judge Kaul worked hard to make aggressive war-making a crime. He worked with famous American lawyers like Benjamin Ferencz, who was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. It is widely agreed that because of Judge Kaul's leadership, the "crime of aggression" was included in the list of serious international crimes that the ICC can prosecute.

Judge Kaul strongly believed that starting an aggressive war always leads to terrible things like war crimes and crimes against humanity. He thought that to stop these terrible acts, it was necessary to make aggressive war-making a crime and to punish those who commit it.

In 2013, Judge Kaul was invited to a special event by the German Foreign Minister. This event was about Germany officially agreeing to the Kampala amendments. These amendments helped define the crime of aggression more clearly.

Judge Kaul was also a member of several important groups. He was on the Advisory Board of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression. He also led the International Expert Advisory Council for the International Academy Nuremberg Principles. He gave over 130 speeches and interviews around the world, talking about the International Criminal Court, international humanitarian law, and the crime of aggression.

In 2006, he received an award called the Integration Prize. In 2008, he was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Cologne.