All rise for Bozo Cerar.
Cerar, the Slovenian ambassador to the United States, will discuss the changing role and enforcement of international criminal law in his lecture titled “The International Criminal Court from Nuremberg to Kampala and Beyond” today from noon to 1 p.m. in the College of Law’s Taylor Law Center, Room 136.
Cerar’s lecture will focus on how criminal law has progressed from World War II to the present, addressing modern problems and the successes and failures of the International Criminal Court when enforcing international criminal laws.
“From Kenya to Syria and Sudan to Ukraine, conflict and instability continues to threaten the lives of countless thousands of innocent civilians and endanger global peace and security,” said Robert Blitt, associate professor of law and primary organizer of the event. “The ambassador’s visit offers a valuable opportunity to gain insight into one critical tool available to the international community for confronting these challenges.”
The most prominent change in international criminal law, Blitt said, is the extent to which the court is used to address international issues, including “genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and state aggression.”
“The court increasingly is being called upon to play a central role in identifying and prosecuting recognized international offenses,” Blitt said.
While the court is being used more now than it has been in the past, Blitt said critics have expressed concerns that it focuses too heavily on African states and lacks the power to carry out new arrest warrants.
“The court is not without its detractors, who decry a disproportionate focus on African states, institutional powerlessness to intervene in the face of ongoing crimes and an inability to bring to justice those individuals already facing outstanding ICC arrest warrants,” Blitt said.
Blitt said he hopes listening to Cerar and thinking about the major problems facing the court—and the world—will spark conversation among students about the best practices to address these global issues.
“I hope the lecture will enrich and inform our understanding as well as stimulate debate over the role of international criminal law… as well as the challenges that operate to limit the ICC’s effectiveness in ending impunity and bringing perpetrators to justice,” he said.
Roger Hagy, director of communications at the College of Law, said students should take advantage of this opportunity to expand their horizons and learn about global issues from a respected world leader.
“This lecture is a unique opportunity for our students to learn from and engage with an international leader and expert,” Hagy said. “Opportunities like this are increasingly important for future lawyers and leaders as they prepare to enter a globally connected workforce and community.”
