2006-2007 War Crimes Speaker Series

The Iraqi High Tribunal

Richard Dicker, Director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch (HRW), spoke at the WCRO about the Iraqi High Tribunal. He discussed HRW’s involvement in pursuing a justice mechanism for Iraq, flaws in the trial of Saddam Hussein and his thoughts on the Tribunal’s value to Iraqi citizens.

Possibilities for Ratification of the Rome Statute by the United States

As of March 2007, 105 nations have ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The United States signed, but did not ratify the statute in 2000. In 2002, the signature was withdrawn. David Scheffer, who served as the United States' first-ever Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues (1997-2001) discussed the U.S. position on the International Criminal Court in the context of recent developments.

War Crimes in Liberia: Options for Justice and Reconciliation

Ismene Zarifis led a discussion about the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission in Liberia, as well as the relationship between such commissions and other justice mechanisms. Ms. Zarifis earned her J.D. from WCL in 2003. In 2004-2005, she worked in the transitional justice unit of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), where she was involved drafting the enabling act for the establishment of the truth commission in Liberia.

Judge Motoo Noguchi

Mr. Motoo Noguchi, a Japanese judge in the supreme court chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, spoke to students at the WCRO about the history of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, the difficulties of prosecuting those responsible for Khmer Rouge-era atrocities and the challenges of administering an internationalized court.

War Portrait

In July 1995, over 8,000 Bosniak males were killed by the Bosnian Serb Army under the command of Ratko Mladic. This event was the largest mass killing in Europe since World War II; Mladic remains at large. War Portrait is a short documentary film about the massacre and its aftermath, produced by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, a Serbia-based nongovernmental organization. Discussion following the film was led by Ivna Giauque, a native Croatian whose experience includes work with Human Rights Watch and a local human rights NGO in Croatia.

Latest Developments at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Including the Charles Taylor Case

Dr. Christopher Staker, Current Acting Prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, spoke about the status of cases currently before the Court, the legal and practical challenges presented by the Charles Taylor case, and the legacy of the Court. Sr. Staker has extensive experience in international law, including previous positions as Principal Legal Secretary at the International Court of Justice, Senior Appeals Counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and Deputy Prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.