The Tribunal’s Youth Outreach Project coordinated two more university visits this week in Zagreb, Croatia. Adrian Plevin, associate legal officer in the ICTY Appeals Chamber, delivered lectures at Zagreb University’s Faculty of Law on 9 May and at the Dag Hammerskjold School of International Relations today. Mr Plevin spoke about the Tribunal’s practice in adjudicating war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The attending students – 145 in total - learned how the Tribunal’s two decades of jurisprudence have shaped the contemporary understanding of core international crimes, particularly war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Students showed considerable knowledge about the legal and factual complexities surrounding the Tribunal's cases and asked various thought-provoking questions.
One student, for instance, was interested to know whether a person’s official status may play a role in determining their criminal responsibility. Others inquired about the Tribunal's approach in identifying international and non-international armed conflicts, and wondered how the ICTY’s legacy would continue to shape international criminal justice in years to come.
After the lectures, many of the staff and students at both schools expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to engage with the Tribunal's Youth Outreach Project.