Actual problems of innovative economy and law

Journal "Actual problems of innovative economy and law" is included in category B for specialties: in the field of knowledge "Management and administration": 073, 076 (order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 23.08.2023 No. 1035) and 071, 072, 075 (order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 12.20.2023 No. 1543); in the field of knowledge "Social and behavioral sciences" 051 (order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated August 23, 2023 No. 1035); in the field of knowledge "Law" - 081 and "Public management and administration" - 281 (order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 12.20.2023 No. 1543).
Registration of an entity in print media: Decision of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting No. 1390 dated 11/16/2023. Media identifier: R30-02018
The journal is indexed in the International Scientific Center of Index Copernicus International

The Mens Rea of the Crime of Aggression: Issues of Legal Characterization and Standards of Proof in International and Domestic Law

# 37 167-169 Download/view the full text of the article

УДК: 341.48:343.232

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36887/2524-0455-2025-6-37

Voronina Kateryna,
Ph.D. candidate, Department of Criminal Law Policy,
Yaroslav the Wise National Law University,
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5426-643X

Published: 27.11.25

This article provides a comprehensive examination of the problematic aspects of defining and proving the subjective element (mens rea) of the crime of aggression in both international and national criminal law. The author conducts an in-depth analysis of the intellectual and volitional elements of guilt, placing particular emphasis on the crime’s “leadership nature.” A separate section of the study is devoted to a thorough analysis of circumstances that exclude criminal liability. It critically evaluates defendants’ attempts to invoke a mistake of fact (Art. 32 of the Rome Statute of the ICC) and to justify their actions by invoking the right to self-defense (Art. 31 of the Rome Statute of the ICC). The study convincingly demonstrates that the universal nature of the prohibition on aggression as a peremptory norm of general international law (jus cogens) completely nullifies legal manipulations and attempts to evade responsibility by citing the aggressor state’s lack of membership in the United Nations or its failure to sign certain treaties. The paper examines the complexity of the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard of proof in cases involving the highest levels of state leadership, where the prosecution often relies on circumstantial evidence and a chain of logical inferences. Given the high level of secrecy surrounding the decision-making process, the prosecution typically relies on a complex system of circumstantial evidence and public statements by officials to construct a chain of logical inferences and establish criminal intent. Based on the analysis, clear criteria are proposed to distinguish legitimate political decisions of a state from acts constituting international crimes. The findings of this study are of significant conceptual importance for improving the mechanisms of international criminal justice and the work of special tribunals.

Keywords: crime of aggression, subjective side, Rome Statute, mens rea, mistake of fact, principle of proportionality, leadership crime, ICC, proof beyond reasonable doubt, international criminal law.

References.

  1. United Nations. (1998). Rymskyi statut Mizhnarodnoho kryminalnoho sudu [Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court]: International document dated July 17, 1998. Available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_588#Text.
  2. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2001). Kryminalnyi kodeks Ukrainy [Criminal Code of Ukraine]: Law of Ukraine dated April 5, 2001, No. 2341-III. Available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2341-14#Text.
  3. United Nations General Assembly. (1974). Vyznachennia ahresii [Definition of Aggression]: Resolution No. 3314 (XXIX) dated December 14, 1974. Available at: https://www.un.org/ru/documents/decl_conv/conventions/aggression.shtml.
  4. United Nations. (1945). United Nations Charter (full text). Available at: https://www.un.org/fr/about-us/un-charter/full-text.
  5. International Court of Justice. (1986). Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America): Judgment of 27 June 1986. ICJ Reports, p. 14. Available at: https://www.icj-cij.org/case/70.
  6. Working Group on the Crime of Aggression. (2022). Memorandum for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Committed Against Ukraine. Available at: https://crimeofaggression.info/decisions-and-documents/memorandum-for-the-prosecution-of-the-crime-of-aggression-committed-against-ukraine/.
  7. Weisbord, N. (2013). The Mens Rea of The Crime of Aggression. Washington University Global Studies Law Review, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 487–510. Available at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_globalstudies/vol12/iss3/10.
  8. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. (2012). Kryminalnyi protsesualnyi kodeks Ukrainy [Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine]: Code of Ukraine dated April 13, 2012, No. 4651-VI. Available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4651-17.
  9. International Criminal Court. (n.d.). Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Available at: https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/RulesProcedureEvidenceEng.pdf.

The article was received 18.10.2025

Quote article, APA style

Voronina K. 18.10.2025. The Mens Rea of the Crime of Aggression: Issues of Legal Characterization and Standards of Proof in International and Domestic Law. Actual problems of innovative economy and law. 2025. №6. 167-169 pp. https://doi.org/10.36887/2524-0455-2025-6-37

Quote article, MLA style

Voronina K. The Mens Rea of the Crime of Aggression: Issues of Legal Characterization and Standards of Proof in International and Domestic Law. Actual problems of innovative economy and law. 18.10.2025. https://doi.org/10.36887/2524-0455-2025-6-37