The old saying about the importance of justice appearing to be done as well as being done is perhaps even more relevant to international than national politics.

This is so because we operate in a world order in which the institutions of international criminal justice have been set up well in advance of any signs of the other two branches of world government, namely a parliament and an executive. Thus there is less of a distance separating judicial activity from raw politics in world affairs than within countries.

With the recent killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, we now know that he and his companions were unarmed when shot by U.S. SEALS. As he was never tried and convicted in any court of law, it is difficult to argue that justice was done. Vengeance, yes, but not justice.