International criminal jurisdiction involving children in armed conflict
- Date Maggio 16, 2022
ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE
International criminal jurisdiction involving children in armed conflict.
Procedural and deontological profiles concerning the role of lawyers
June 8th-October 20th, 2022
THE AIM OF THE COURSE
This advanced training course organized by the Universities Network intends to develop the professional skills of lawyers who work, or intend to work, on issues related to children affected by armed conflicts.
In situations of armed conflict, children are increasingly being brought before the international and national justice systems, either as victims and witnesses or as defendants.
The goal of this advanced training course is to bring conceptual clarity to the issue of children and justice in times of armed conflict by investigating the role of lawyers in national and international legal frameworks. Its aim is to analyze relevant legal provisions, academic debates and a number of case studies. It will articulate how children who have suffered grave violations during armed conflict can access justice, as well as how the current system treats child victims and witnesses. Moreover, it delves into the issues of children who may have committed international crimes during conflict, the nature of their accountability, and where they should be placed on the spectrum between total impunity and total responsibility.
What role do lawyers play in this framework? How can lawyers assist and defend children? How could they approach children who have been impacted by armed conflict? What are the rules that lawyers must follow before the International Criminal Court?
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first international criminal law instrument
to criminalize the recruitment and use of children in international or non-international armed conflicts,
recognizing the fact that children are present, both in the armed forces of States and in non-State armed
groups. It has laid bare the fact that children are truly among the most vulnerable persons in armed
conflict. The ICC has so far devoted considerable energy to investigating, prosecuting and sentencing crimes committed against children during armed conflicts. However, the issue of international justice relating to children affected by armed conflict is a question which, due to its delicacy, requires continuous updating and, above all, specialization of the professionals involved.
The goal of this specialization course is to equip lawyers with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect the rights and best interests of children affected by armed conflict in national/international proceedings and in non-judicial processes.
Download program (pdf)