Defending the rule of law: global challenges and the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
Our free lecture by Her Excellency Dr Fatou Bensouda, High Commissioner of The Gambia to the UK and former Prosecutor at the ICC. Hear about her extensive experience in international criminal law and safeguarding the rule of law worldwide.
Watch her speech below.
About the lecture
HE Bensouda shared her insights on:
- International criminal law as a diplomat and a key figure in global justice
- Safeguarding the rule of law worldwide
- The challenges she has faced and continues to observe with the rule of law
- The evolving complexities in international criminal law
- Current challenges facing the ICC
- Upholding legal principles amidst global tensions
Our annual international rule of law lectures offer important reflections on the state of international justice and the rule of law.
About HE Dr Fatou Bensouda, High Commissioner of The Gambia to the UK and former Prosecutor at the ICC
Dr Fatou Bensouda served as Prosecutor of the ICC for 9 years having assumed office in 2012. She is the first woman to serve as the Prosecutor of the ICC and was nominated and supported as the sole African candidate for election to the post by the African Union.
Under her leadership, Dr Bensouda has greatly reinforced the capacity of her office through many strategic and managerial initiatives and expanded her office's activities to cover 14 investigations, and countless active preliminary examinations in conflicts around the world.
She has strived to advance accountability for atrocity crimes, highlighting the importance of addressing traditionally underreported crimes. These include crimes such as sexual and gender-based crimes, mass atrocities against and affecting children, as well as the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage within the Rome Statute framework.
Prior to joining the ICC Dr Bensouda was successively state counsel, senior state counsel, principal state counsel, deputy director of public prosecutions, solicitor general and legal secretary of the Republic, and attorney general and minister of justice of The Republic of The Gambia.
Her international career as a non-government civil servant formally began at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she worked as a legal adviser and trial attorney before rising to the position of senior legal adviser and head of the legal advisory unit.
She is the recipient of numerous awards over her career, including International jurists award, World peace through law award and the XXXV peace prize. Dr Bensouda was also nominated for the 2021 Nobel peace prize in recognition of the accomplishments and work in advancing criminal justice, without fear or favour.
Dr Bensouda currently serves as The Gambian High Commissioner to the Court of St James's and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Republics of Austria, Ireland, Finland and the State of Israel and the Vatican City.
This event has happened