Law Intersession - Intl/Comp: Documenting War Crimes - 2234

This course will provide lawyers with an introduction to the legal and technical aspects of the use of digital evidence to document war crimes and human rights violations. We will examine the discovery, collection, preservation, verification, and analysis of videos, photographs, satellite and drone imagery, social media data, large digitized text collections, and other forms digital evidence. Particular attention will be paid to the integration of this material with the results of more traditional methods, including eyewitness interviews and forensic investigations. The course will include guest presentations and trainings from the leading scholars and practitioners in the field. By the end of this course, students will have a clear understanding of the probative and evidentiary value of the kind of digital material that is produced during conflict. They will also understand the limitations and ethical challenges posed by this material. The course will provide students with an international network of people who they can turn to for support in the analysis and use of digital evidence in their legal practice. It will also help them determine what kind of infrastructure needs to be built within a country to support the use of digital evidence domestically in the legal proceedings and transitional justice processes that take place during and after conflict.