What does justice look like for victims of atrocity crimes? How can they participate in the criminal process? Are international criminal tribunals even the best means of addressing violations? How else might we support victims?
In this episode, LLB V student and Just Cause co-director Eamonn Murphy speaks with Senior Lecturer and Just Cause co-director Dr Rachel Killean, unpacking the mechanics of victim participation in international criminal law. Drawing from Dr Killean’s research on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, this episode explores how victims can be involved in trials for violations of international criminal law. From the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to the International Criminal Court, we consider the active role that victims play as represented parties in certain international tribunals; we question the assumption that providing testimony is necessarily “retraumatising” for victims, and outline the support systems for victims that exist in both international and domestic legal systems. If this topic of victim participation piques your interest, please see Dr Killean and Professor Luke Moffett's article in the Journal of International Criminal Justice, available to read here: https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/130043243/Killean_Moffett_260517.pdf.
Dr Rachel Killean is a Senior Lecturer at Sydney Law School, and the current Associate Dean for Student Life in Sydney Law School. Dr Killean is the Co-Convener of the ANZSOC Green Criminology thematic group and the Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law, and is a member of the Sydney Institute of Criminology, the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, and the Sydney Environment Institute.
