On 3 December, CICJ welcomes Judge Beti Hohler of the International Criminal Court for this year's CICJ Distinguished Guest Lecture, to speak about the current state of international criminal justice and the ICC's role in it.
International criminal justice finds itself at a moment of profound challenges. The ICC is confronted with unprecedented institutional attacks and attempts to undermine its independence and ability to fulfill its mandate.
Drawing on the perspective of an ICC Judge who has personally experienced coercive measures because of her judicial work, the lecture will reflect on what these challenges mean for judicial independence, the future of international institutions and the broader international legal order.
The lecture will also examine the positive developments, achievements and signs of resilience that too often go unnoticed. It will reflect on the continued evolution of the field. It will argue that we must not allow current challenges to overshadow the progress made or diminish our ambition for the future.
Before her election as a Judge of the International Criminal Court, Beti Hohler served as a Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor, having joined the ICC in 2015. Prior to that, she worked for the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, where she advised international judges. She began her legal career in Ljubljana, Slovenia, first at the Court of Appeals and subsequently as a senior associate at a law firm.
In her current role, Judge Hohler is presiding over the trial of The Prosecutor v. Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Édouard Ngaïssona (Trial Chamber V) and is serving on the bench in the Situation in the State of Palestine (Pre-Trial Chamber I) and The Prosecutor v. Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri (Trial Chamber VII). She has also spoken publicly about her experience of being sanctioned by the United States (“Living with US sanctions means living in constant uncertainty”).
3 December, 13:30-15:15 hrs in room HG-14A33 (VU Main Building).