Transitional Justice in Libya: Impediment to Stability, Impractical to Fulfil, or Too Important to Ignore?
Abstract:
A discussion dedicated to the varying ways that transitional justice has been understood and valued by different actors since 2011. It will consider the rise and fall of the International Criminal Court, the role of criminal justice more widely, the reluctance of peace building efforts to recognise and account for human rights atrocities, how justice is currently understood by the Libyan public, and the ways civil society have begun to pick up the pieces.
Bio:
Elham Saudi is Director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL), an NGO that she co-founded following the country's 2011 uprising. Elham's work includes fact finding and documentation of evidence; advising Libya’s first transitional government, the National Transitional Council, on a number of matters of international law, including the drafting of its guidelines for opposition fighters; and strategic litigation before a range of international mechanisms, including submitting amicus curiae briefs before the International Criminal Court. Of particular note, Elham spearheaded LFJL’s Destoori project. Accompanied by a team of Libyan lawyers and social activists, she travelled to over 35 locations across Libya in order to engage 3,000 members of the public in discussions about the constitutional process and canvass opinion on key issues.
Elham read Arabic and Modern Middle Eastern Studies at St Hugh’s College in 2000. Subsequently, she was admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales and practised as a corporate lawyer at Slaughter and May, where her client base included the World Bank. She later obtained an LLM in International Law (distinction) at SOAS.
Elham is also an Associate Fellow of the International Law Programme at Chatham House. She is regularly invited to address diverse audiences, and her media appearances include Radio 4, Channel 4 News, BBC News, Al Jazeera and the Hay Festival Beirut.