News

Criminal Justice Centre facilitates internships with Karadzic defence team

(12 November 2008)

The Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice is inviting students to apply for internships with the defence team in what promises to be one of the major war crimes trials since Nuremberg and Tokyo.

Dr. Radovan Karadzic, the former President of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is currently awaiting trial at the ICTY for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Dr. Karadzic is representing himself, but he has a small team of international criminal lawyers helping him prepare his defense. In that capacity, Peter Robinson, one of the leading defense attorneys at the ad hoc tribunals, and I are looking for a small number of interns to work with the defense team in The Hague. The positions are unpaid, but this is a unique opportunity to be involved in one of the highest-profile and most important international prosecutions since World War II. Interning with the defense team will not involve clerical work; interns will be asked to evaluate evidence, research complex legal issues, and help draft motions. Given the nature of the work involved, interns must have taken at least an introductory course on public international law. Additional coursework in international criminal law or international humanitarian law is desirable, though not required. Interns will be expected to be in residence in The Hague for a minimum of two months, with the possibility of continuing involvement in the case after the internship has ended. Interested students should send a CV and a statement of availability to Kevin Jon Heller at k.heller@auckland.ac.nz.