Law experts to discuss ICC response to US sanctions

Can the International Criminal Court survive in the face of US sanctions, when online services and digital communications are dominated by big US firms?

Leading figures from international law, legal practice and the International Criminal Court will join the University of Reading next week for an expert roundtable examining the implications of recent US sanctions against the ICC.

Hosted by Global Law at Reading (GLAR), the online event will bring together an international panel to discuss how the Court can respond to growing geopolitical pressures and build long-term resilience.

The discussion will be chaired by Reading's Professor Marko Milanovic and will feature Judge Kimberly Prost of the International Criminal Court, Jason Pobjoy KC of Blackstone Chambers, Dr Ezequiel Jimenez Martinez of Pompeu Fabra University and the University of Reading's Dr Benjamin Thorne.

While much commentary has so far focused mainly on the legal and political consequences of the sanctions, the event will also explore a less examined challenge: the Court's dependence on US-based technology and the question of how digital resilience can be achieved in an increasingly uncertain international environment. 

Topics under discussion will include:

- What the sanctions do and do not do

- Options available to the Court and the challenges of implementing them

- Building long-term institutional resilience

- Digital resilience in a technology landscape dominated by US providers

- The implications for international justice and accountability efforts

Dr Alison Bisset, deputy director of Global Law at Reading, said:

"The sanctions raise important questions not only about international law and the future of the ICC, but also about the practical resilience of international institutions operating in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

"Bringing together leading voices from the Court, legal practice and academia gives us a valuable opportunity to explore both immediate responses and longer-term implications."

The event will take place online from 2pm to 3.30pm (UK time) on Monday 9 November. Registration is free and open to all.

Register here: Global Law at Reading US Sanctions against the ICC: Responses and Resilience