Three international court judges will bring their expertise to this discussion on the role tribunals play in ensuring the effectiveness of international law. The panel, coordinated by the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law of the American University Washington College of Law and the American Society of International Law, will explore, in particular, whether the subject matter of the court’s jurisdiction and the constituency that surrounds it make a difference in terms of the impact of their work and their ability to ensure that international rules are abided by states and other actors in the international community. Much has been debated regarding compliance of international law and many continue to believe that this field of law remains a tool of powerful states to promote their own political and economic agendas. At the same time, several international courts with different subject matter jurisdiction and other mechanisms for the settlement of disputes have been established in the last 25 years. Their roles in the consolidation of international law rules continues to be a subject of debate, as can be witnessed in recent literature on the subject. In particular, the enforcement of the International Court of Justice’s judgments remains an ongoing challenge that affects their legitimacy.
SPEAKERS:
- Antônio Cançado Trindade, Judge, International Court of Justice
- Sylvia Steiner, Judge, International Criminal Court
- Fausto Pocar, Judge, International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia
MODERATOR:
- Elizabeth Andersen, Executive Director, American Society of International Law (ASIL), Washington DC