STUDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW FROM NEW YORK VISIT SARAJEVO CITY HALL AND THE ICTY INFORMATION CENTER

As part of a study visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a group of international law and transitional justice students from New York University’s (NYU), led by Professor Jennifer Trahan, visited Sarajevo and the Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica).

The visit aimed to introduce students to international legal practice and provide first-hand insight into serious violations of international humanitarian law. Using concrete examples, the students explored the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and its legal successor, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

During their time at the City Hall—which itself represents a symbol of resilience, reconstruction, and the indestructible spirit of Sarajevo’s citizens—the students toured the Information Centre premises, including the authentic courtroom 2 of the Hague Tribunal. This authentic space houses the original judicial robes worn by judges and prosecutors during historic trials, serving as a lasting reminder and a message that justice may be slow, but it is attainable.

In her address to the students, Professor Jennifer Trahan particularly emphasized the global significance of this process: “The Hague Tribunal is a heritage of the world. Judges from various countries—including the United States, Malta, Germany, and Switzerland—served in The Hague. It was precisely these international judges who ensured complete objectivity, neutrality, and transparency in delivering final verdicts”, emphasised Traham.

Following the official program and having shown great interest through numerous questions, the students from New York toured the City Hall, expressing great admiration for its beauty, architecture, and rich history.

Jennifer Trahan is a distinguished Clinical Professor at NYU and Director of the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights. She is an expert who leads the specialized field intensive course “War Crimes Prosecutions in the former Yugoslavia.” She is a prolific scholar, author of two digests on the case law of ad hoc tribunals, and writer of the award-winning book “Legal Limits to Security Council Veto Power in the Face of Atrocity Crimes” (Cambridge University Press, 2020). She is also the winner of the “2020 ABILA Book of the Year Award” presented by the American Branch of the International Law Association.