Trainings and International Criminal Justice

Among the objectives for establishing a research institute focusing on international criminal justice within Strathmore Law School was the need to support national criminal justice practitioners. Clear capacity gaps were identified in this field domestically hence the need to conduct applied research and to build capacity among national institutions found in this field. Moreover, as various international courts and hybrid tribunals come to a close, the future of international criminal justice was put on the shoulders of domestic legal systems, which despite the strides that have been made in individual aspects, are not yet fully equipped to handle these matters.

The Training Center at SIASIC

Each year, as part of its capacity building initiatives, SIASIC undertakes various training on the prosecution of International Crimes. These trainings so far have revolved around the themes of wildlife, environmental and transnational crimes as well as sexual and gender based violence. The trainings are high-level specialized practice-based trainings tailored for prosecutors and other criminal justice practitioners such as judicial officers and investigators. The focus of the training is on imparting international standards and practice in the prosecution of international crimes to domestic prosecutors through sharing experiences and expertise between national and international practitioners.

  1. ADVANCED TRAINING ON THE PROSECUTION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMES: THEMATIC FOCUS ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE CRIMES

The training was held in the Strathmore University Auditorium from the 28th July – 3rd August 2016.

This advanced training course was a specialized program in international criminal law. The thematic focus was on integrating effective approaches to addressing conflict-related sexual violence crimes as a core part of prosecution work. The teaching faculty for the course was made up of senior international criminal justice practitioners with extensive experience in navigating the challenges inherent in cases involving international crimes and other complex criminal cases, including the specific challenges that apply to conflict-related sexual violence crimes.

It was organised by SIASIC with financial assistance from the Nuremberg Academy in Nuremberg, Germany. The course was tailored for Prosecutors and other legal practitioners working generally in domestic and international criminal law, and/or sexual and gender based violence.

The trainers were prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), including the former Chief Prosecutor, Dr Serge Brammertz, the former Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Ms Michelle Jarvis, Mr Douglas Stringer and Ms Lisa Biersay.

  1. ADVANCED TRAINING ON THE PROSECUTION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMES

The training was held in the Strathmore University Auditorium from the 27th – 31st July 2015.

It was organised by SIASIC with financial assistance from the Nuremberg Academy in Nuremberg, Germany and the Swiss Embassy, Kenya.

The trainers were prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), including the former Chief Prosecutor, Dr Serge Brammertz, Mr Douglas Stringer, Ms Lisa Biersay, and Mr Matthew Gillett.

The course curriculum and materials were developed by the trainers. The materials were modelled along a real life case scenario, with a fact pattern and evidence. This formed the basis for the practical sessions. The course materials also included excerpts from the Rome Statute and the elements of crimes for the lecture modules. The training was delivered through lectures, discussion groups and practical exercises. There was a total of 26 participants; 19 from Kenya, 4 from Zambia, 2 Nigeria and 1 from India.

  1. EAST AFRICA PROSECUTORS’ TRAINING – KAMPALA, UGANDA

This training will be running from the 30th of June 2018 to 4th of August 2018.

The theme of the training is “Advanced Training on the Prosecution of International Crimes 2018” and will focus on advanced technical and practical skills in prosecuting sexual and gender based violence offences. The training in 2018 in Uganda builds on the fruitful editions we have had the last three years -including the first training outside Kenya – held in Rwanda in 2017.