July 2003 President of International Criminal Court to address NUI Galway Event

The recently elected President of the International Criminal Court, Philippe Kirsch, will be the keynote speaker at a one-week course organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway from 19-26 July 2003 in Galway. Now in its fourth year, the one-week course provides students, diplomats, journalists and other interested professionals with a comprehensive introduction to the operational and political issues concerning the Court.

President Kirsch headed the negotiations that resulted in the creation of the Court. He was elected a judge in February 2003, and President of the Court the following month. He will lecture on the establishment of the Court, including the 1998 Rome Conference and subsequent developments.

Speakers at the course include Ambassador David Scheffer, who led the United States delegation at the Rome Conference and Professor William Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and author of Introduction to the International Criminal Court.

The International Criminal Court became fully operational in June 2003, following the election of its judges, the Prosecutor and the Registrar. The Court is authorised to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 1 July 2002.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights, founded in 2000, is based at NUI Galway, where it is affiliated to the Faculty of Law. Besides organising specialised courses on relevant themes, like the International Criminal Court course, it offers a degree programme of post-graduate studies in international human rights law and engages in a range of individual and contract research projects.