Building Justice: Criminal Accountability and the Road to Peace

We are honoured to announce that Beth Van Schaack, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, will deliver the 2022 Annual Justice Lecture, hosted by Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL) and the Centre for Human Rights Law at SOAS, University of London. The lecture will be followed by a reception.  

The Annual Justice Lecture is an opportunity for legal and human rights experts to draw on international experience and explore urgent questions of justice in Libya and beyond.

This year’s lecture explores how international criminal justice fits into post-conflict transition and tangible efforts for peace. A study conducted by LFJL with 388 men and women across Libya showed a clear call for accountability, truth, reparations, and institutional reform to redress past and current violations, and to ensure they are not repeated. What role can international criminal justice play to break Libya’s cycle of impunity and facilitate a transition to lasting peace?  

As one of the world’s foremost experts on international criminal law and human rights, Ambassador Van Schaack is uniquely poised to reflect on this question. Ambassador Van Schaack has extensive experience in teaching and researching criminal law, human rights, and conflict resolution in academic institutions, most recently at Stanford Law School, where she directed the Stanford’s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic. She has also served as the Academic Adviser to the United States interagency delegation to the International Criminal Court Review Conference in Kampala, Uganda, and in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia.  

LFJL Director Elham Saudi said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ambassador Van Schaack to deliver this year’s Annual Justice Lecture. It is an invaluable opportunity to explore the role of criminal justice in breaking the cycle of violence and impunity in Libya as well as in other countries facing similar situations."  

Dr Lutz Oette, Co-Director of the Centre for Human Rights Law at SOAS, said: “Drawing on the international experience of a distinguished expert like Ambassador Van Schaack will bring a fresh perspective and a new voice to the conversation around accountability and conflict in Libya.”  

We welcome you to join this event. Tickets are free to encourage participation by all. We kindly encourage attendees to donate to support LFJL's ongoing work for human rights and justice in Libya.

Get your tickets here. 

The event will be live streamed on LFJL’s Facebook page with interpretation for Arabic-speakers.