In August 2001, the International Law Commission (ILC) concluded its work on the topic of state responsibility and adopted the 'Articles on State Responsibility' in a second reading. In this final draft, the ILC moved away from the concept of international crime and replaced the controversial principle with the concept of a serious violation of a peremptory norm of international law. Whether this represents a purely terminological decriminalization or whether the new version brings substantive changes is examined in this volume. It provides an overview of the decades-long codification work of the ILC, taking into account the numerous reports of the special rapporteurs, various government comments, and the commentary of international legal literature. The evaluation also appreciates customary international law, considering the developments in state practice and international jurisprudence.