The Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts

The International Judicial Academy conducts annually in September the Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts, held in late Sir Richard May, the first British representative on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and a member of the Academy’s first Board of International Advisors. This seminar is conducted by the Academy in cooperation with the Open Society Justice Initiative.

First Sir Richard May Seminar

Twenty-two state and federal judges from the United States convened in The Hague, Netherlands for the first Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts September 11-16, 2005. The Seminar was prepared and conducted by the International Judicial Academy, with support from the Open Society Justice Initiative and the American Society of International Law, as well as assistance from the Judicial Leadership Development Council and the Atlantic and Pacific Exchange Program, a Dutch organization.

During the one week seminar, the judges heard lectures from leading international lawyers and international organization officials, and visited the international courts and dispute resolution tribunals located in the Hague. Hon. Hans Corell, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Legal Affairs made two presentations the first day. Another leading speaker was Philippe Sands QC, international barrister and professor of international law from England. The site visits during the seminar included the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Hague Academy on Private International Law, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the International Court of Justice. During the visit to the ICJ, Judge Thomas Buergenthal, the U.S. representative on the Court, addressed the Seminar participants.

Among the lectures presented at the Seminar were the history and development of international law; the subjects of international law; the United Nations system; international law in the modern world; the history and development of international criminal law; modern international criminal law; international courts and tribunals; international criminal tribunals; European law, which focused on the law relating to the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights; and a new European organization, Eurojust, which coordinates criminal justice proceedings in the states of the European Union.

The Seminar received high evaluations from the group. One judge stated that the Seminar was the best legal education program she had attended during her twelve years as a judge.

Eighteen of the judges received scholarships from the IJA to offset part of the Seminar tuition, long distance air fare, and hotel expenses. The Seminar ended with a closing banquet at which certificates were presented.

First Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts - A Retrospective View from a Participant

By Justice Ann Walsh Bradley of the Wisconsin Supreme Court

In September 2005, I had the pleasure of spending a week in The Hague, Netherlands attending the first Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts.  It was simply the best judicial education opportunity that I have ever experienced.  

That is high praise coming from someone  who herself is fresh on the heels of orchestrating a highly successful federal/state seminar on judicial independence, held  in April 2006 and attended by over 75 state and federal judges. With a background in teaching, and having served as the associate dean of our state’s judicial college, I have participated in and presented at numerous seminars during my over twenty years on the bench. 

What makes the Sir Richard May Seminar so exceptional?  To borrow a phrase from the world of real estate sales, it is “location, location, and location.” The Hague is a city that  symbolizes the promise of international law and the possibility of international justice.  It has long been the home to the International Court of Justice (or World Court), the legal arm of the United Nations, which adjudicates disputes between states.  In addition, it houses several other international tribunals.

During our week-long seminar we had the opportunity to visit the International Court of Justice, as well as the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Conference on Private International Law, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and the International Criminal Court. These visits, however, were much more than mere tours. The seminar participants were given opportunities to meet with the top officials of these tribunals and experienced first hand the workings of some of the courts.

The seminar presentations were given by prominent legal experts, including Judge Thomas Buergenthal , the United States representative on the World Court. Judge Buergenthal added an impromptu tour of the court’s chambers as a special attraction. We also watched the drama of the Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia unfold before us.  In the first genocide case brought against a former head of state, the tribunal was conducting the trial of Slobodan Milosevic.

We were spellbound in listening to the experiences of Luis Moreno Ocampo , a veteran Argentinian prosecutor who now serves as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.  Created by the Rome Statute in 1998, the International Criminal Court began its work with goals of preventing and prosecuting crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes.  Mr. Moreno?Ocampo spoke of the challenges and the prospects of prosecuting those responsible for the evolving genocide in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and two million have fled their homes. 

In addition to learning about international law and  tribunals , the seminar also presented an opportunity to learn more about our courts at home. The Hague , a city built along canals with old European boulevards, provided a wonderful setting for a healthy exchange of ideas with judges from around the United States serving at various levels in both the state and federal court systems. It was simply the best.

(Note: The First Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts was planned and conducted by the International Judicial Academy, of Washington, DC, with support from the Open Society Justice Initiative and the American Society of International Law.)

Second Sir Richard May Seminar

The Academy received another grant from the Open Society Initiative to support the second Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts, which was held in The Hague, Netherlands September 23-29, 2006. Participants included 20 state and federal judges from the United States and four judges from Argentina.

The agenda for the one week seminar, including lectures and site visits, was similar to that of the first Seminar (see commentary on first seminar, supra). It included lectures on topics of international law and visits to the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, both located in the Peace Palace; the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; the International Criminal Court; the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal; and the Hague Conference on Private International Law.

Principal speakers at the Seminar included Ambassador Hans Corell, former Under Secretary for Legal Affairs of the United Nations; Dean William Gilmore of the University of Edinburgh School of Law; Dr. Sam Muller, Executive Director of the Hague Institute for the Internationalization of Law; Dr. Rene Lefeber of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Michael Kennedy, President of Eurojust.

The Seminar was funded by grants from the Open Society Justice Initiative, the American Society of International Law and the JEHT Foundation, supplemented by tuition payments from judge participants.

Third Sir Richard May Seminar

For the third consecutive year, from September 23 - 28, 2007, the International Judicial Academy conducted the Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts in The Hague, Netherlands, with support from the JEHT Foundation, the American Society of International Law, the Atlantic and Pacific Exchange Program, and the Judiciary Leadership Development Council. In addition to the 26 state and federal judges from the United States, 4 Argentine judges attended the seminar as part of the Academy's delegation.

During the seminar, the judges heard lectures from leading international lawyers and international organization officials, and visited the international courts and dispute resolution tribunals located in The Hague. During the visit to the International Court of Justice, Judge Thomas Buergenthal, the American representative on the Court, addressed the participants. At the International Criminal Court, the participants met with Dr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Hon. Hans Corell, former Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the Legal Counsel of the United Nations also made two presentations.

Twenty-four of the judges received scholarships from the IJA to offset part of the Seminar tuition, long distance airfare, and hotel expenses. The Seminar ended with a closing banquet at which certificates were presented.

Announcing the Fourth Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law & International Courts

The Fourth Sir Richard May Seminar on International Law and International Courts will be held September 21 - 26, 2008 in The Hague, Netherlands. Scholarships are available to judges selected to participate in the program. Announcements about this Seminar will be mailed to U.S. judges nominated by participants in the past three programs at the end of January. Other interested U.S. judges can request an invitation to apply to the Seminar by writing or contacting the following address:

International Judicial Academy

1616 H Street N.W., Suite 204

Washington, D.C. 20006

Telephone: 202 628 7801

Fax: 202 628 7803

E-mail: ijaworld@verizon.net

Website: www.ijaworld.org

The Seminar is limited to 20-25 U.S. judges. Selections will take place as applications are received; thus earlier applications take priority.