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The Honorable Patrick Lipton Robinson, President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, was honored at a reception on May 14, 2010 at the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis. The event was hosted at the law school and members of the legal and international communities and the public were invited to attend.

President Robinson, originally from Jamaica, has had a long and distinguished career in international law on the bench and in government service. He currently is principal advisor to the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and has served on the International Bioethics Committee, Word Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and several world and regional bodies including the Commission of Truth and Justice – Haiti.

Following introductory remarks, President Robinson accepted questions from those attending at the reception. Admission is without charge but attendees are requested to make reservations at davismf@iu.edu or 317-274-1917.

“We are honored to host President Robinson, whose international law career has inspired law students around the globe,” says Professor George E. Edwards, the Carl M. Gray Professor of Law and founding director of the law school’s Program in International Human Rights Law (PIHRL). “Our law school has sent numerous law interns to work in The Hague, The Netherlands at the ICTY— an institution now headed by Judge Robinson. Our graduate and former ICTY intern Mr. Sean Monkhouse, ‘06 has returned to The Hague as an ICTY Judicial Officer.” Professor Edwards says, “Following in this tradition, one of our students, Ms. Samantha Sledd, will intern this summer at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)– the ICTY’s sister organization, based in Arusha, Tanzania.”

This summer Professor Edwards will also lead a delegation of PIHRL law student interns to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Review Conference, which will be held in Kampala, Uganda in May and June. The ICC Review Conference will assess proposed modifications of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court which was concluded in 1998 (in Rome). The ICC also sits in The Hague.

President Robinson was invited to Indianapolis by Christian Theological Seminary where he received an honorary doctorate degree at the seminary commencement exercises.

This event was co-sponsored by the following law school groups: PIHRL, International Human Rights Law Society, Amnesty International Law Chapter, Master of Laws Association, as well as the following organizations: Human Rights Works and the Center for Victim and Human Rights.

For more information contact Professor Karen Bravo kbravo@upui.edu or 317.278-9117 or Professor George E. Edwards gedwards@indiana.edu or 317.274.1917.