Full Description
This unique volume provides a detailed analysis of Australia's 300 war crimes trials of principally Japanese accused conducted in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Part I contains contextual essays explaining why Australia established military courts to conduct these trials and thematic essays considering various legal issues in, and historical perspectives on, the trials. Part II offers a comprehensive collection of eight location essays, one each for the physical locations where the trials were held. In Part III post-trial issues are reviewed, such as the operation of compounds for war criminals; the repatriation of convicted Japanese war criminals to serve the remainder of their sentences; and reflections of some of those convicted on their experience of the trials. In the final essay, a contemporary reflection on the fairness of the trials is provided, not on the basis of a twenty-first century critique of contemporary minimum standards of fair trial expected in the prosecution of war crimes, but by reviewing approaches taken in the trials themselves as well as from reactions to the trials by those associated with them. The essays are supported by a large collection of unique historical photographs, maps and statistical materials. There has been no systematic and comprehensive analysis of these trials so far, which has meant that they are virtually precluded from consideration as judicial precedent. This volume fills that gap, and offers scholars and practitioners an important and groundbreaking resource.
Contents
Preface; List of Abbreviations; List of Maps and Illustrations; Notes on Contributors; Maps;
PART I
Trial Context, Issues and Perspectives
Trial Context
1 The Australian War Crimes Trials, 1945-51 Tim McCormack and Narrelle Morris;
2 The Emperor's Army: Military Operations and Ideology in the War against Australia Steven Bullard;
Legal Issues
3 Jurisdiction of the Australian Military Courts 1945-51 Tim McCormack;
4 The Australian Military Courts under the War Crimes Act 1945— Structure and Approach Michael Paes;
5 Command Responsibility and Other Grounds of Criminal Responsibility Gideon Boas and Lisa Lee;
6 Obedience to Superior Orders and Related Defences Monique Cormier and Sarah Finnin;
7 The Prosecution of Crimes against Civilians Bridget Dunne and Helen Durham;
Historical Perspectives
8 Crimes against Captured Airmen Tristan Moss and Georgina Fitzpatrick;
9 Crimes against Asians in Command Responsibility Trials Yuma Totani;
10 Cannibalism and the War Crimes Trials Georgina Fitzpatrick;
11 Death Sentences, Japanese War Criminals and the Australian Military Georgina Fitzpatrick;
Part II
Trial Locations
12 The Trials on Morotai Georgina Fitzpatrick;
13 The Trials at Wewak Georgina Fitzpatrick;
14 The Trials on Labuan Georgina Fitzpatrick;
15 The Trials in Darwin Georgina Fitzpatrick;
16 The Trials in Rabaul Georgina Fitzpatrick;
17 The Trials in Singapore Georgina Fitzpatrick;
18 The Trials in Hong Kong Georgina Fitzpatrick;
19 Last Trials: Manus Island Georgina Fitzpatrick;
PART III
Post-Trial Reflections
20 The Australian War Criminals Compounds at Rabaul and on Manus Island, 1945-53 Narrelle Morris;
21 Changing Direction: Repatriation of Japanese War Criminals in Australian Custody Dean Aszkielowicz;
22 The 'Post-War'of the BC-Class War Criminals: How Did War Criminals React to the Australian Trials? Utsumi Aiko and Udagawa Kōta Translated by Steven Bullard;
23 Were the Australian Trials Fair? Narrelle Morris and Tim McCormack;
Appendix I War Crimes Act 1945 (Cth)
Appendix II Regulations for the Trial of War Criminals 1945 (Cth)
Appendix III Board of Inquiry List of War Crimes
Appendix IV Trials List with National Archives of Australia Series and Item Number
Indices.
