On December 24, 2024, the Law School of Beijing Normal University hosted a distinguished lecture titled "The Theory of Joint Criminality in International Criminal Law." The event featured Judge Liu Daqun, a renowned academician at the Institut de Droit International and a veteran judge with the United Nations International Criminal Court's residual mechanism. Judge Liu brings a wealth of experience to the podium, having served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) from 2000 to 2017. Notably, he served as the tribunal's final vice president from November 2015 until its conclusion in December 2017. In addition to his tenure at the ICTY, Judge Liu has been actively involved in adjudicating appeal cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) since 2005.

During the lecture, Judge Liu provided a comprehensive overview of joint criminality within the framework of international criminal law, detailing its definition and five distinct forms. He drew insightful comparisons between the legal theories of civil law and common law jurisdictions, ultimately highlighting the unique mechanisms international criminal law employs to identify and address these complex issues.

Judge Liu analyzed the four forms of joint criminality, conspiracy, incitement, and aiding and abetting in international criminal law, pointed out relevant controversial issues, summarized the views of different scholars both domestically and internationally, and provided his own perspective based on practical experience.

Subsequently, Judge Liu answered questions raised by the students attending the lecture in detail, expanding and deepening the theme of the lecture. Judge Liu concluded that international criminal law is a newly developed legal discipline in recent years, with related research still in its infancy, and some fundamental definitions, interpretations, and identifications remain inconclusive. Domestic scholars should actively participate in the construction of the international criminal law system to contribute to China's greater role and responsibilities on the international stage in the future.

To conclude the event, the attending faculty and students gathered with Judge Liu Daqun for a group photo to commemorate the occasion.