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On 14-15 July 2025, the University of Nottingham School of Law and Human Rights Law Centre hosted the second Nottingham International Criminal Justice Conference. We were joined by 50 academics and practitioners to discuss the latest developments in international criminal justice, both at the Hague and beyond.

Hosted on the University of Nottingham’s iconic University Park campus, the Conference highlighted the vibrancy of scholarship across fields and sub-disciplines related to international criminal justice and provided the forum for thoughtful, collegial, substantive and constructive discussion on contemporary issues in international criminal justice.

The papers addressed a wide range of current and emerging issues in international criminal justice. We began by reflecting on the purposes and rationales of international criminal justice and how these have shifted over the past 25+ years. Presenters then critiqued recent decisions at the ICC and prompted us to consider how international criminal justice might respond to environmental harms and accommodate the unique vulnerabilities of different participants in the criminal justice process. We discussed the impact of technology on international criminal justice - both with respect to the commission of international crimes, and also regarding challenges in investigations and prosecutions. We also discussed emerging research on international criminal lawyers and judges, including the emotional labour they perform and the workplace protections that they require. A theme that repeatedly arose was the importance of state co-operation with the ICC and the adequacy of mechanisms to enforce co-operation. We concluded the conference by moving beyond the Hague and reflecting on domestic efforts to prosecute international crimes and the potential and limitations of recent developments in this area.

The Conference organisers wish to thank all our participants for the time and commitment they invested in contributing to the Conference and its success, whether as speakers, chairs, or conference participants. In addition to our team of student helpers –  Lucas Martin, Sky Ng, Nima Nikkhah, and Samuel Toomey –  we would also like to thank the School of Law for providing the financial support to facilitate the conference and the immeasurable support we received from Chetna Chaurasia, Kobie Neita, Suzanne Robey, and Olive Welch to make this Conference happen.

The organisers are eagerly looking forward to next year’s Conference, when we hope to welcome people back to Nottingham and continue to build our network of international criminal justice scholars.

Conference Organisers