Reaching out in international criminal justice

Abstract

This thesis is about linking up the legal process in the courtroom with the reconciliation process outside the courtroom in the aftermath of conflict. It reviews the most effective ways of communicating the work of international criminal tribunals to victims and witnesses and it explores the relationship between target groups and the creative communication mechanisms used by Outreach programmes, such as radio broadcasts, information websites and public meetings. A regional comparison, based upon personal experience, is made between the successes and challenges of Outreach at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in West Africa, and its predecessor; Outreach at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. The thesis provides an overview of the development of innovative Outreach tools and offers tentative recommendations for improving communication strategies at current and forthcoming international criminal prosecutions. It stresses the importance of listening to the concerns and questions of victims and witnesses at Outreach events and of the need to better engage local people with the work of tribunals.