The International Criminal Court has accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine to Russia amid the ongoing war between the two countries.

Today in The Conversation Canada, James Horncastle of Simon Fraser University delves into what the charges mean. Are they pointless, since Putin isn’t likely to ever face his day in court? Or do they have important symbolic value because they’re making clear that the world is watching Russian atrocities in Ukraine?

Horncastle examines the history of the International Criminal Court, including its sometimes strained relationship with the United States — and also points out how many other countries are accusing the court of hypocrisy because the types of crimes Putin’s accused of are happening in their own nations without any global repercussions.

Also today:

Regards,

Lee-Anne Goodman

Politics, Business + Economics Editor

A woman wrapped in the Ukrainian flag shouts through a megaphone during a demonstration in front of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, in March 2022. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)

Why the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Putin has symbolic importance

James Horncastle, Simon Fraser University

The International Criminal Court’s charges against Vladimir Putin are likely to have a minimal impact on him, but it does signal that wartime atrocities have consequences — and the world is watching.

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Robert Lempert, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Elisabeth Gilmore, Carleton University

Two experts in policy and technology who were also co-authors of an international climate assessment see reasons for optimism.

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Sex workers are left out in the cold by Ottawa’s unjust conviction amendments

Steven Maynard, Queen's University, Ontario; Gary Kinsman, Laurentian University; Patrizia Gentile, Carleton University; Tom Hooper, York University, Canada

Experts on the history of sexuality in Canada say recent changes to the Expungement Act don’t go far enough, and they urge Canadians to reject attempts to divide marginalized communities.

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Jan Kietzmann, University of Victoria; Dionysios Demetis, University of Hull

Many children and adolescents fall victim to online exploitation, but there are some steps parents can take to protect their children online.

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Should a Tragically Hip song have been played at a Pierre Poilievre event?

Robbie MacKay, Queen's University, Ontario; Lisa Macklem, Western University

There is a distinction between deliberate use of a song to support a particular political campaign, and incidental music in the background at a social function hosted by a political party.

La Conversation Canada

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Voici pourquoi il est plus difficile de communiquer sur les plates-formes de vidéoconférence

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