Grotius Dialogue
Grotius Dialogue: A Philosophical Approach to War Crimes Trials: Between Theory and Practice
- Date
- Thursday 5 November 2026
- Time
- Address
- Wijnhaven Building Room 3.48, Turfmarkt 99, 2511DP The Hague or online (hybrid event - link below)
A Philosophical Approach to War Crimes Trials: Between Theory and Practice
What can philosophy contribute to the courtroom? And what can international criminal law learn from philosophy?
This Grotius Dialogues event in The Hague brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore the often-overlooked relationship between philosophical reasoning and international criminal justice. At the center of the discussion is a simple but consequential proposition: international criminal law is not only a body of rules, but also a form of practical reasoning about truth, responsibility, intent, causation, fairness, dignity, judgment and justice.
Drawing on the recently published volume A Philosophical Approach to War Crimes Trials: Between Theory and Practice (Routledge 2026) contributors examine how philosophical analysis can illuminate some of the most difficult questions confronting international criminal courts and tribunals. They revisit foundational concepts, challenge inherited assumptions, and consider how philosophical insights can be translated into practical tools for judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, investigators, and scholars.
The discussion will move between theory and practice, philosophy and adjudication, and the courtroom and the wider public meaning of international justice. It will also address persistent conceptual problems that have shaped past and ongoing war crimes trials.
Join the editors and contributors for an engaging Grotius Dialogues conversation on why rigorous thinking about the meaning of law may be indispensable to the practice of international criminal justice.
Speakers
Prof. Alexander K. A. Greenawalt