Technology, Law & Policy

Our research helps international justice practitioners anticipate, understand, and prepare for the ways in which digital technologies are changing the nature of their work — both in terms of the way crimes are committed and the evidence available to them. We conduct forward-looking research on new and emerging technologies in armed conflicts and international crimes to anticipate what impact these technologies will have on international criminal investigations and prosecutions. In partnership with the Investigations program, we distill lessons learned, draft investigation guidelines, and implement guidelines through our professional training program. We also serve as advisors and consultants to non-governmental organizations and international institutions to help them modernize by developing new policies, procedures, and protocols.

Our legal submissions advocate for creative interpretations of international law with an aim towards shaping new legal precedent. The changing character of war raises questions about how we, as lawyers, ensure that international law — and more importantly the protections that it provides for civilians — is not out-paced by a rapidly changing world. While it is the role of states to create new international laws, the current geopolitical climate has stalled this process, resulting in a growing impunity gap. Thus, in the absence of multilateral cooperation, lawyers must think creatively about how to effect change and ensure the law develops to address current challenges. Our team strategically identifies cases that raise novel legal issues related to new kinds of weapons, modes of warfare, and types of belligerents for which the laws are unclear or insufficient. By bringing these cases to the attention of prosecutors and encouraging them to pursue them in court, we can effect broader social change.