Program:
Conceptualising De facto International Prosecutors in a Global Era
2016—2024
Book
Titled De facto International Prosecutors in a Global Era: With My Own Eyes, this book shines light on the role of ‘de facto international prosecutors’ as an emerging phenomenon. They are ‘private’ non-state actors, and state legal ‘officials’ in foreign courts, which pursue criminal accountability for those most responsible for core international crimes. They do so when local options to investigate fail and an international criminal tribunal remains unavailable.
The book is written by Dr Melinda Rankin (Cambridge University Press, 2022).
Basic Toolbox
The Basic Toolbox for De facto International Prosecutors is a resource list designed for witnesses and victims of core international crimes - as well as other ‘private’ non-state actors, and state legal ‘officials’ in foreign courts - who wish to adopt the practices of international prosecutors. They do so when local efforts to pursue criminal accountability for those most responsible for core international crimes fail in the jurisdiction the alleged crimes were committed.
The Basic Toolbox is curated with Dr Emilie Hunter.
New Project: The Nuremberg Effect
Titled ‘The Nuremberg Effect,’ this Project investigates how non-state actors and state legal officials in foreign courts have historically drawn upon the Nuremberg Trials as a type of template to pursue those most responsible for core international crimes. In particular, it focuses on those non-state actors who pursue accountability in foreign courts exercising universal jurisdiction. This project is supported by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung.
The Sylvia Method Podcast
Co-hosted by Dr Lauren Saunders and Dr Melinda Rankin, renowned experts and scholars who research international criminal and humanitarian law, this podcast offers a unique and comprehensive perspective on the evolving field of international criminal justice. Each episode features insightful interviews with important individuals from the realms of law, academia, activism, and diplomacy, who share their profound knowledge and experiences.
De facto International Prosecutors Program
This program, titled Conceptualising De facto International Prosecutors in a Global Era, is led by Dr Melinda Rankin at The University of Queensland. The Program explores the role of ‘de facto international prosecutors’ as an emerging phenomenon. While it examines ‘private’ non-state actors, and state legal ‘officials’ in foreign courts, it also focuses on witnesses and victims of core crimes. The Project examines the practices, innovations and strategies de facto international prosecutors adopt, and shows how witnesses and victims of core crimes emerge as key leaders in the accountability process. Moreover, it illuminates how the legacy of the Nuremberg Trials continues to influence de facto international prosecutors as they pursue important legal cases against those most responsible for humanity’s greatest crimes.
The Program consists of a series of projects, including The Nuremberg Effect project, which is funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung in Düsseldorf, Germany.
