Chapter 8—Offences against humanity and related offences

Division 268—Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against the administration of the justice of the International Criminal Court

Subdivision K—Miscellaneous

268.116 Defence of superior orders

(1) The fact that genocide or a crime against humanity has been committed by a person pursuant to an order of a Government or of a superior, whether military or civilian, does not relieve the person of criminal responsibility.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), the fact that a war crime has been committed by a person pursuant to an order of a Government or of a superior, whether military or civilian, does not relieve the person of criminal responsibility.

(3) It is a defence to a war crime that:
(a) the war crime was committed by a person pursuant to an order of a Government or of a superior, whether military or civilian; and
(b) the person was under a legal obligation to obey the order; and
(c) the person did not know that the order was unlawful; and
(d) the order was not manifestly unlawful.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in establishing the elements in subsection (3). See subsection 13.3(3).

Article 33
Superior orders and prescription of law
1. The fact that a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court has been committed by a person pursuant to an order of a Government or of a superior, whether military or civilian, shall not relieve that person of criminal responsibility unless:
(a) The person was under a legal obligation to obey orders of the Government or the superior in question;
(b) The person did not know that the order was unlawful; and
(c) The order was not manifestly unlawful.
2. For the purposes of this article, orders to commit genocide or crimes against humanity are manifestly unlawful.