International justice at the crossroads: what role for the media?

In Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan or Syria, international courts have become the high-profile legal battleground of the most sensitive and consequential conflicts. Judges have even been called to rule on climate change and its impact on millions of people. International law is on the retreat and yet as never before have the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) been looked up to to set principles and establish responsibilities. The stakes are high for States, political and military leaders – and for the courts themselves.
Journalists covering these institutions face unique challenges: procedural opacity, legal complexity, political pressure, geopolitical strategies, and the duty to inform audiences that are far away from the courtrooms and inevitably ill-equipped to understand the technicalities of law and the politics of justice.
This panel will bring together leading journalist experts to explore how media coverage of international justice and the role of reporters covering it have evolved over time and how it can meet growing demands for transparency, impact, and accessibility.
At a time when international justice is under attack, accused of lacking legitimacy and being politicized, this panel will discuss the tensions between their role as independent journalists (and therefore watchdogs of justice institutions) and accountability for international crimes.
Moderated by Thierry Cruvellier.
Organised in association with Fondation Hirondelle.
Launched in 2015 by Fondation Hirondelle, Justice Info is an independent news website that covers the latest news on justice initiatives in countries facing the most serious violence. A leading media outlet on the subject, its editorial team and thirty correspondents publish four articles a week, simultaneously in French and English (also in Spanish for Colombia, and in Ukrainian and Russian for Ukraine).