Doughty Street International (DSI) has unrivalled experience in international criminal law, with leading practitioners in the field at all levels of seniority. Between them, members of the team have appeared at all the international or internationalised court or tribunals as either prosecutors, defence counsel, victims’ counsel, counsel for witnesses, amicus curiae or representatives of States.
Doughty Street members advised States during the negotiations establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), were amongst the first lawyers who helped establish the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and were involved in discussions at the highest level regarding the establishment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, at which Geoffrey Robertson KC served as the first President. DSI members continue to advise States and international organisations on the establishment of new courts or tribunals including in relation to the situations in Ukraine, Belarus, and Syria, among others.
DSI practitioners prosecute, defend and advise on cases alleging genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. They are leaders in victim representation, and advise States, individuals, NGOs and victims’ groups on international criminal proceedings and seeking accountability for international crimes including through the creation of new mechanisms, formal inquires, or panels.
DSI members have also played key roles in universal jurisdiction cases, where international trials are prosecuted and tried in domestic courts, both in England and Wales, and abroad.
The international criminal law group (ICL) comprises of a network of internationally renowned international associates and academic experts in the field of international criminal justice, who collaborate with practitioners on high-profile individual cases and projects, seminars and roundtables. The ICL group includes judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers Associate Fergal Gaynor and Associate Guenaël Mettraux, former Judge of the International Criminal Court Associate Sir Howard Morrison KC, President of the Association of Defence Counsel practising before the International Criminal Tribunals Associate Kate Gibson, and Former President of the Assembly of States Parties HRH Academic Expert Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein. Max du Plessis SC has a special expertise in pursuing universal jurisdiction cases, and successfully utilises international law arguments before domestic courts.
Two of the ICL group members, Amal Clooney and Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller, currently serve as Special Advisers to the ICC Prosecutor – on Darfur and War Crimes, respectively.
With the groups intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the various international criminal courts and tribunals, they are uniquely placed to advise on or conduct proceedings before them, giving them an edge.
As well as their work in The Hague and other international criminal courts, Doughty Street practitioners also advise extensively on ancillary proceedings such as sanctions and asset freezing, and on INTERPOL Red Notices and extradition.
For more on our work in prosecution of international crimes in domestic courts, please visit Foreign Jurisdiction Work.
DSI practitioners act in leading cases before the international criminal courts and tribunals involving allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression including allegations arising out of the situations in Belarus, Cambodia, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Rwanda, Russia, Syra, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, Uganda, Yugoslavia.
International Criminal Court
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Situation in the State of Palestine - Max du Plessis SC is currently instructed to represent Palestine (together with Associate Tenant Professor John Dugard SC, and a team of UK and foreign barristers) in all stages of the matter proceeding to trial, including strategic advice regarding the preliminary examination by the Office of the Prosecutor.
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Prosecutor v Bosco Ntaganda - Associate Kate Gibson acted as Co-Counsel to the former commander of the UPC/FPLC in the Democratic Republic of Congo, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Tim Moloney KC, Megan Hirst, and Peta-Louise Bagott represent victims of rendition and torture. They were among the victims’ counsel who successfully argued for the Appeals Chamber to overturn Pre Trial-Chamber II’s decision refusing authorisation of an investigation into crimes committed in Afghanistan.
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Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (ICC-02/17 OA4) - Steven Powles KC Represented a group of Pakistani drone victims before the Appeals Chamber in attempt to overturn Pre-Trial Chambers refusal to open an investigation.
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Situation in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh/Republic of the Union of Myanmar - Megan Hirst and Jelia Sané act as counsel for Rohingya genocide victims from the village of Tula Toli, currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Associate Kate Gibson is instructed through Victims Advocates International to represent 80 victims who are also in the camps in Bangladesh.
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Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories - Tatyana Eatwell and Jennifer Robinson act on behalf of Palestinian journalists and their families, including family of Shireen Abu Akleh, in their complaints to the ICC concerning allegations of the unlawful targeting of journalists by members of the Israeli armed forces and the targeting of media houses in Gaza during the May 2021 conflict.
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Situation of a Non-State Party - Aarif Abraham acts for a State concerning the application of the Rome State to a non-state party whose nationals have allegedly committed international crimes partly in the territory of a state party.
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Prosecutor v Jean-Pierre Bemba - Associate Kate Gibson acted as Co-Counsel to the former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who was acquitted of crimes against humanity and war crimes
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Prosecutor v Dominic Ongwen - Jelia Sané filed an amicus curiae before the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court on the interpretation of the crime of enslavement under the Rome Statute.
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Prosecutor v Henry Kosgey and others - Steven Powles KC represented a former Kenyan Government Minister accused of crimes against humanity.
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Prosecutor v Dominic Ongwen - Megan Hirst acted as junior in the external legal team representing approximately 2600 victim participants in the case.
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The Prosecutor v. Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah Al Senussi - John RWD Jones KC and Amal Clooney acted as defence counsel in the case, and Wayne Jordash KC represented the Libyan government.
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The Prosecutor v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman (‘Ali Kushayb’) - Amal Clooney represented a group of over 100 Darfuri victims in a criminal case against a commander of the Janjaweed militia in the Darfur region of Sudan charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity and accused of supporting the Bashir regime in a war that claimed over 300,000 lives.
International Residual Mechanism for the International Criminal Tribunals
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Prosecutor v Radovan Karadžic - Associate Kate Gibson acted as Co-Counsel on appeal for the former President of the Republika Srpska, charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity
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Prosecutor v Naser Orić - Megan Hirst acted as junior for Vasvija Vicović and John Jones KC in the appeal of this matter for war crimes allegedly committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Ratko Mladić v The Prosecutor - acted as legal adviser to the Judges in the Trial Chamber; Peta-Louise Bagott acted as junior counsel before the Appeals Chamber.
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Radovan Karadžić v The Prosecutor - Peta-Louise Bagott, together with Felicity Gerry KC and a group of international scholars, acted as Amicus Curiae in the Appeals Chamber.
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia/ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
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Mugenzi et al. - Associate Kate Gibson acted as Lead Counsel for Justin Mugenzi, former Minister of Trade and Commerce, who was acquitted of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
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Jean-Baptiste Gatete - Associate Kate Gibson acted as Co-Counsel to the former bourgmestre of Murambi commune, charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity
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Čermak & Markač - John RWD Jones KC and Associate Guenael Mettraux secured a historic acquittal at the ICTY for Croatian Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač who had been sentenced in 2011 to 24 years and 18 years respectively for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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Steven Powles KC has represented a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army accused of War Crimes before the ICTY.
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Mićo Stanišić (IT-04-79) - Associate Wayne Jordash KC acted as lead counsel at the ICTY defending Jovica Stanišić, the first intelligence chief to be tried by an international criminal tribunal, and also acts as a consultant to the appellate team in the case of Mr. Sagahutu, convicted in 2011 at the ICTR for the crime of genocide.
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Isak Musliu (IT-03-66) - Steven Powles KC defended ex-member of Kosovo Liberation Army accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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Brdjanin (IT-99-36-AR73.9) - Steven Powles KC represented Washington Post reporter Jonathan Randal at the ICTY in establishing qualified privilege for war correspondents.
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Prlić et al. (IT-04-74) “Bosnia and Herzegovina” - Aarif Abraham acted as legal adviser on certain procedural matters in the Appeal Chamber.
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Stanišić & Župljanin (IT-08-91) “Bosnia and Herzegovina” - Aarif Abraham acted as legal adviser on certain procedural matters in the Appeal Chamber.
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Karadizc (IT-95-5/18) - Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller served as one of two formally appointed legal associates for the former President of the Republika Srpska.
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
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Case 002/02 - from 2019-2022 Megan Hirst was lead international counsel for civil parties (participating victims) in Case 002/02 , in which the most senior surviving Khmer Rouge leaders were tried. Megan represented the nearly 4000 civil parties in the appeal proceedings.
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Case 001 -Associate Kate Gibson was a legal assistant to Civil Party Group 1 in the case against Kaing Guek Eav (‘Duch’).
Special Court for Sierra Leone
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Prosecutor v Charles Ghankay Taylor - Associate Kate Gibson was Co-Counsel to the former Liberian President on appeal. Steven Powles KC represented President Taylor in potential fresh evidence appeal, and is also seeking to further challenge the lawfulness of his detention in the UKL.
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Prosecutor v Moinina Fofana (SCSL-2004-14-T) - Steven Powles KC defended ex-member of Civil Defence Forces in proceedings at Special Court for Sierra Leone.
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Prosecutor v Morris Kallon - Steven Powles KC defended ex-member of Revolutionary United Front accused of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, arguing the legality of the establishment of Special Court (2004) 16 BHRC 227 and status of amnesty granted under international law (2004) 16 BHRC 252.
Special Tribunal for Lebanon
- Prosecutor v. Ayyash et al. - Amal Clooney was a member of the prosecuting team at the first UN-created court dealing with terrorism. The case concerned five persons accused of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri and others in a terrorist attack in Beirut.
Members of the team have acted in high profile cases involving the application of international law in domestic criminal proceedings.
Recent and notable cases in the UK courts include:
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R v Reeves-Taylor [2019] UKSC 51 - Steven Powles KC and Tatyana Eatwell acted in this leading case concerning the definition of torture for the purposes of Article 1 of the UN Convention against Torture and section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
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R v Gul [2013] UKSC 64 - Tim Moloney KC and Tatyana Eatwell acted in the leading case on the definition of terrorism as provided by section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and its application to situations of armed conflict.
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R v FF - Kirsty Brimelow KC led in a judicial review of DPP’s decision not to investigate a Prince of Bahrain under universal jurisdiction in relation to torture, a key case litigated on crime and diplomatic immunity since House of Lords judgments in Pinochet.
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Myanmar Accountability Project - Tatyana Eatwell worked on the Myanmar Accountability Project on the exercise of universal jurisdiction to prosecute members of the Myanmar junta for crimes against humanity.
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National Commissioner of The South African Police Service v Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre and Another (CCT 02/14) [2014] ZACC 30 (Zimbabwe Torture Docket Case) - On behalf of torture victims, Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller co-authored an amicus brief concerning the right of states to conduct investigations in absentia for crimes subject to universal jurisdiction. Constitutional Court held in favor of victims and adopted the reasoning of the amicus brief in toto.
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Several protest cases concerning situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - Aarif Abraham has acted as Defence Counsel in several cases concerning groups protesting at arms factories allegedly involved in the supply of weapons which were claimed to have been used in the commission of international crimes.
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US vs. Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh (US military commission) - Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller served as legal advisor and expert witness to the defendant’s Military Commission Defence Office team. Ramzi was one of the defendants in the 9/11 trial until he was found unfit to stand trial.
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Salim v. Mitchell, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington - Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller served as plaintiff’s expert witness in an Alien Tort Statute lawsuit against the psychologists responsible for creating and administering the CIA’s torture program. Was responsible for drafting report concerning the existence of a customary norm prohibiting medical experimentation. Defendants settled on the eve of trial – the first and still only successful lawsuit involving the torture program.
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Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, United States Supreme Court - Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller helped draft amicus brief concerning the criminal responsibility of corporations in the aftermath of World War II, submitted on behalf of more than 15 Nuremberg scholars.
Amal Clooney has acted as victim’s counsel in the French and German courts in a number of universal jurisdiction prosecutions of members of ISIS for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Yazidi in Iraq and Syria.
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Prosecutor v. LafargeHolcim - Representation of Yazidi women in landmark criminal proceedings before the French courts against the French multinational, LafargeHolcim. The company is the first in the world to be charged with financing terrorism and complicity in crimes against humanity committed by ISIS.
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Prosecutor v. Taha A.-J - Representation of a Yazidi woman who was the key witness and a ‘co-prosecutor’ in a criminal case before the Regional Court of Munich. The defendant was a senior member of ISIS who purchased, enslaved, tortured the client and murdered the client’s 5-year old daughter. This is the first case in the world in which a member of ISIS was convicted of genocide and it represents a landmark precedent for cases under universal jurisdiction laws.
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Prosecutor v. Jennifer W - Representation of a Yazidi woman who was the key witness and a ‘co-prosecutor’ in a criminal case before the Higher Regional Court of Munich, Germany. The defendant was a senior member of ISIS’ ‘morality police’ (hisbah) and, together with her husband, purchased, enslaved, tortured the client and murdered the client’s 5-year old daughter.
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Prosecutor v. Sarah O - Representation of a Yazidi woman who was the key witness and a ‘co-prosecutor’ in a criminal case against “Sarah O” before the Regional Court of Düsseldorf. The defendant was a member of ISIL’s hisbah. This case is one of only a handful of cases in which an ISIS member has been charged with international crimes against Yazidis.
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Prosecutor v. Jalda A - Representation of a Yazidi woman who was the key witness and a ‘co-prosecutor’ in a criminal case against “Jalda A” before the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, in one of only two cases charging ISIS with genocide.
Max du Plessis SC has a special expertise in this area, and has acted or advised in cases against individuals accused of international crimes in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Gaza and Madagascar, and has submitted amicus curiae briefs before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals, the Israeli Supreme Court and South Africa’s Constitutional Court.
Highlights include:
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Acting as lead counsel for the Democratic Alliance (South Africa’s leading opposition party) to secure confirmation of an ICC arrest warrant to arrest President Putin for war crimes in Ukraine, prior to Putin’s attendance at a BRICs conference in August 2023.
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Acting as lead counsel to challenge the South African government’s attempts to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, and thereafter to hold South Africa to account for that failure before the ICC.
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Southern African Litigation Centre in Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and Others v Southern African Litigation Centre and Others 2016 (3) SA 317 (SCA) - acting as lead counsel for the Southern African Litigation Centre in making submissions to Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC in the proceedings regarding South Africa’s accountability for its failure to arrest President Bashir)- a leading decision on immunity of heads of state for international crimes.
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The South African Police Service v Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre and Another 2015 (1) SA 315 - acted for the Southern African Litigation Centre in a challenge to the prosecution authority’s failures to investigate torture as a crime against humanity, and which is the leading decision on universal jurisdiction and South Africa’s obligations under the Rome Statute of the ICC.
DSI members have provided advice to States, individuals, NGOs, international organisations and victims groups on international criminal law and reforms relating to accountability for international crimes and grave human rights violations. They also provide legal advice to organisations on ICL litigation strategies, and conduct research for NGOs and academic institutions on international justice issues.
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Max du Plessis SC advised a group of Biafran victims in bringing a case against Nigeria before the ICC, appeared in meetings with the Prosecutor of the ICC in The Hague to further the investigation, and prepared a strategic advice on self-determination for the Biafran leadership on how best to assert Biafran identity within Nigeria.
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Max du Plessis SC advised a group of victims of genocide in Sri Lanka regarding potential cases before the ICC and universal jurisdiction matters, including the right to truth, and made submissions to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Truth.
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Max du Plessis SC was consulted with the ISS to draft the implementation legislation of the Rome Statute for the governments of Botswana and Namibia.
Our members have advised or appeared before various international investigations and commissions including:
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The United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other terrorist attacks in Lebanon;
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The UN Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar,
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The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI);
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The office of Kofi Annan, Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and League of Arab States on Syria.
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International human rights fact-finding missions organised by the International Bar Association and the Bar Human Rights Committee to countries including Syria, Egypt, Rwanda, Burma and Nigeria;
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The advisory committee for the Proposed International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity.
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Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression as allegedly being committed in Ukraine - Aarif Abraham advises several international stakeholders, including States, on the creation of a new ad hoc tribunal which will concern alleged responsibility for Russian and Belarussian leaders for the crime of aggression – acting as sole junior and partly led by Prof Philippe Sands KC.
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Hazara Inquiry into Alleged Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity - Aarif Abraham acted as an external adviser to this Parliamentary Inquiry.
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Uyghur Tribunal - Aarif Abraham acted as Principal Legal Adviser and Co-Counsel to a People’s Tribunal on allegations relating to genocide and crimes against humanity.
Doughty Street members, associates and academic experts have held various appointments at international courts and tribunals, including:
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Kosovo Specialist Chambers - Associate Fergal Gaynor, current Judge in the Trial Panel; Associate Guenael Mettraux, current judge in the Trial Panel.
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International Criminal Court - Associate Sir Howard Morrison KC is a former judge.
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Special Tribunal for the Lebanon - Associate Sir Howard Morrison KC is a former appointed judge.
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UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia - Associate Sir Howard Morrison KC is a former judge.
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Special Advisors to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Amal Clooney and Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller. Amal is appointed as the Special Adviser to the Prosecutor of the ICC on Darfur and supports the Prosecutor in efforts to gather evidence and hold accountable those who committed atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. Kevin Jon Heller is the Special Advisor on War Crimes.
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Aarif Abraham is an expert available for instruction, for the International Criminal Law Justice Experts Roster & JRR-UN Women SGBV Justice Experts Roster, at Justice Rapid Response. He is also a member of the Council of Experts, American Bar Association’s International, Criminal Justice Section (Atrocity Crimes Initiative).
DSI boasts an impressive Academic Expert Panel who can be called upon to provide their expertise in international criminal law, in litigation and advice, and can be instructed to appear before international courts as experts in the field. DSI’s Academics experts regularly collaborate with team’s practitioners and work with them on some of the leading cases and matters in the field, providing the holistic, multidisciplinary approach that Doughty Street International is known for.
DSI’s world-renowned academics specialising in ICL and the crossover between ICL and IHRL/other areas of international law, are Kevin Jon Heller, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Professor Juan E. Mendez, and Elizabeth Wilmshurst CMG (Associate Fellow Chatham House) and Professor John Dugard SC who currently sits as a Judge Ad Hoc at the International Court of Justice.
DSI team members regularly conduct advocacy and legal training of prosecution and defence advocates, as well as judges, in association with the International Bar Association, the International Lawyers Project, the International Crime in Africa Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Members have trained judges, lawyers, prosecutors, government officials, NGOs and military officers, including the British Army and judges in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Tunisia, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Ukraine, and Bahrain.
Max du Plessis SC was engaged by the Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria, to act as a Senior Research Associate to develop their flagship International Crime in Africa Programme. One of the Programme’s aims was to build an institutional relationship between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU), which involved arranging high-level symposia in Africa, and edited “An African Guide to International Criminal Justice” which serves as a resource tool for African prosecutors, judges, lawyers and officials seized with international criminal law matters.
Many team members are associated with universities and institutes and lecture and teach on international criminal law and procedure, as well as offer analysis on television and other media, on issues relating to international criminal law.
Team members are regularly called upon to lecture and provide training seminars at around the world, and can be instructed on this basis.
The wealth of experience gained by team members means that they are internationally recognised specialists and they have authored many of the leading textbooks in the field, and regularly publish other key publications, commentaries and opinions.
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Steven Powles KC is the Co-Author of the leading textbook ‘International Criminal Practice (OUP),
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Amal Clooney is the co-author of the Right to a Fair Trial in International Law (OUP, 2020), now considered the leading treatise on the right to a fair trial. Amal Clooney- The Right to a Fair Trial in International Law, with P. Webb (Oxford University Press, 2020), considered "a formidable reference tool" (Judge Sir Howard Morrison, Judge formerly at the International Criminal Court); “a tour de force" (Karim Khan QC , Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court); "a must-read book for everyone in the field" (Judge Françoise Tulkens, former Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights) and "the definitive work now on fair trial rights" (Professor Beth van Schaack, Stanford University).
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Megan Hirst is the co-editor of Victim Participation in International Criminal Justice (2017) which is the leading text on victims’ participation in international criminal trials.
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Aarif Abraham is a contributing author and expert adviser on the International Criminal Law Practice Project under the auspices of the American Bar Association.
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Amal Clooney, Freedom of Speech in International Law, co-edited by Lord Neuberger, former President of the UK Supreme Court (Oxford University Press, 2024).
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Amal Clooney- The Special Tribunal for Lebanon: Law and Practice (co-edited with D. Tolbert and N. Jurdi (Oxford University Press, 2014).
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Jelia Sané (with Associate Keina Yoshida), drafted a handbook (in French) for TRIAL International aimed at domestic prosecutors and judges in the DRC on the admissibility of audiovisual evidence, including open-source evidence and digital evidence, in international criminal proceedings (with Keina Yoshida)
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Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller et al. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Criminal law (Oxford University Press, 2018) Asked by the Press to serve as lead editor and select other editors.
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Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller, The Nuremberg Military Tribunals and the Origins of International Criminal Law (Oxford University Press, 2011).
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Academic Expert Kevin Jon Heller & Gerry Simpson (eds.), Hidden Histories of War Crimes Trials (Oxford University Press, 2013).
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Associate Guenael Mettraux, International Crimes: Law and Practice, Volume I: Genocide (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2019), Book Review, International Criminal Law Review 20 (2020) 1-3
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Max du Plessis SC- Heads of State Immunities, International Crimes and President Bashir’s Visit to South Africa’ (with Guénaël Mettraux and John Dugard), International Criminal Law Review, Volume 18, Issue 4, 2018, pp 577–622
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Max du Plessis SC, The Role of the International Criminal Court in Africa: The Epic Fails? (with Gevers), in Africa’s Role and Contribution to International Criminal Justice (Sarkin and Siang’andu eds), Intersentia, 2020
- Max du Plessis SC, Principle 27: Restrictions on Justifications Related to Due Obedience, Superior Responsibility and Official Status, in The UN Set of Principles to Combat Impunity: A Commentary (Haldermann and Unger eds), published by Oxford University Press, 2018