International Justice and Accountability

ELAC works to strengthen the laws, norms, and institutions delivering justice and accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression. We offer a focal point for scholars interested in the discipline, including by hosting workshops and meetings, some of which result in published papers in the field. We regularly engage with governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations on institutional, procedural and substantive aspects of international criminal law, providing our expertise in relation to current challenges relating to accountability. We also participate in the development of international legal standards, tools, and institutions in this area. Members have been involved in the negotiations of formal legal instruments in this field as of international criminal justice, as well as in the preparation of guidelines, manuals, and compilations of international best practices. Current research looks at contemporary developments, such as the increased involvement of civil society actors and the role of technology in accountability processes, as well as the ‘accountability turn’ of UN fact-finding and the capacity needed to fulfil international investigative mandates.