International law on war crimes is being tested like never before, with files presented to the International Criminal Court on multiple conflicts, but is the law up to the job?
This year will see investigations into Gaza-Israel and Ukraine intensify, as well as the first war crimes trials of corporate bosses since Nuremberg get underway across Europe.
The International Criminal Court has only ever jailed five war criminals in its first 20 years of existence, leaving many questioning its effectiveness. To answer these questions and more, Frontline has assembled a panel of experts to discuss ‘The Future of War Crimes Justice’.
Chaired by Christopher Stephen who has reported from wars for The Guardian, the panel includes
Kirsty Sutherland, a barrister at 9 Bedford Row specialising in international criminal law and military law; journalist Petter Bolme of Sweden’s Global Reporting and; Mark Ellis, international criminal law expert and the executive director of the International Bar Association.
Chris Stephen has reported for the Guardian, Observer, Evening Standard and New York Times magazine from the battlefields of Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Libya. He witnessed some of the horrors now being tried in The Hague, and has reported on the war crimes process from its early stages.
Kirsty Sutherland is a barrister at 9 Bedford Row, specialising in international criminal law and military law. Her academic background is in philosophy and anthropology, and she is an MPP candidate at the Blavatnik School of Government. Her previous cases include Kenyatta before the ICC, Case 004 before the ECCC, and a number of high profile UK military trials.
Petter Bolme has been working with international politics, development issues and journalism since the mid-1980s. His particular expertise, however, lies with development issues, especially in communication, human rights, health and HIV/AIDS.
Dr Mark Ellis is an international criminal law expert, author, keynote speaker, and Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA).
About Frontline Club
Frontline Club are a social enterprise that started in a Paddington warehouse in 2003, originally as a gathering place for conflict journalists, writers and friends, and which now boasts international members from various related sectors, photographers, artists and captains of industry, all with an interest in current affairs.
They run an annual events programme of current affairs and deliver important unreported stories of our world, in the form of talks, documentaries, books & screenings, funded by our ground floor public restaurant, membership donations & event ticket sales.
Raising their own funds has enabled them to operate and champion independently journalism & freedom of speech.
Event Details
Title: Panel Discussion: The Future of War Crimes Justice
Date: Monday 4 March 2024
Time: 7pm to 8.30pm
Venue: Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, London W2 1QJ
Admission: General admission tickets are £16.63 (including booking fee). Concessions: Members tickets are £5.94; Student tickets are £11.29.
Tickets: buy tickets online from Eventbrite – click here
