In fall 2016, the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute held a series of events to support its flagship project, the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative. The Crimes Against Humanity Initiative was launched in 2008 by Professor Leila Sadat, the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law and Director of the Whitney R. Harris World Law […]
Author: Harris Institute
Compilation of Government Reactions to the International Law Commission’s Project on Crimes Against Humanity
The Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute presents a compilation report of government reactions on the International Law Commission’s Project on crimes against humanity during four sessions of the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (68th, 69th, 70th and 71st Sessions). Read More
ICC-ASP Side Event: “Draft Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity”
1:30 – 3 PM | Room Oceania 2 | World Forum Convention Center, The Hague On Monday, 21 November 2016, the Harris Institute, and the Governments of Germany and Korea will host a side event during the Fifteenth Session of the ICC Assembly of State Parties. The panel discussion will provide a briefing by the […]
Former Chadian Dictator Hissène Habré Convicted of Crimes Against Humanity
On 30 May 2016, a groundbreaking ruling from the Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegalese courts convicted Former Chadian Dictator Hissène Habré of crimes against humanity (rape, sexual slavery, kidnapping and ordering the killings 40,000 people) and sentenced him to life in prison. Habré fled to Senegal in 1990 after being overthrown and was first […]
BBC’s Law in Action Focuses on Crimes Against Humanity
Professor Leila Sadat recently spoke to BBC Legal Affairs Correspondent, Joshua Rozenberg, in his Law in Action segment on crimes against humanity. In this segment, Rozenberg explores the origins of international criminal law, particularly the difference between “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” Other featured guests include Special Rapporteur for Crimes Against Humanity, Professor Sean Murphy, […]
Leading NGOs Support the Work of the UN International Law Commission on Drafting Articles for a New Global Convention
On 16 February 2016, several leading non-governmental organizations submitted a letter to Special Rapporteur Professor Sean Murphy in support of the current work of the International Law Commission on crimes against humanity. The letter underscored the importance of certain key provisions for the ILC’s consideration as the Commission prepares to meet in summer 2016 to […]
UN General Assembly Sixth Committee Discusses a Global Convention on Crimes Against Humanity
In November 2015, the UN General Assembly’s Legal Committee (also known as the Sixth Committee) in New York discussed the need for a global convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. Thirty-seven countries specifically addressed the proposed draft articles presented in the Report by International Law Commission Special Rapporteur on Crimes Against […]
Prof. Leila Sadat Presents on the Need for a CAH Treaty to Prestigious Audience in Portugal
On April 20, 2015, Prof. Leila Sadat gave a presentation regarding the need for a new global treaty on crimes against humanity at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. In attendance were students, administrators, faculty, deans and members of Portugal’s Supreme Court. In particular, the presentation was attended by the President of the Portuguese Supreme Court, Justice António […]
Senator Durbin’s Speech Highlights ABA Working Group on Crimes Against Humanity
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) will reintroduce Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) legislation in Congress. Referring to the lack of such legislation as a “legal loophole,” he explained that “[d]espite longstanding U.S. support for the prosecution of crimes against humanity committed in World War II … in Pol Pot’s Cambodia, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone […]
Recent articles in the Economist and The Hill highlights the gap in U.S. and international law as it relates to crimes against humanity
“Seventy years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, many countries lack the legal authority to prosecute war criminals and perpetrators of atrocities and give redress to victims.” Genocide, and a number of war crimes, including torture and enforced disappearance, have dedicated UN treaties, but there is still none which covers crimes against humanity. […]