Minneapolis symposium to explore Armenian Genocide and the law

Published: Thursday January 14, 2010

Minneapolis - By Chato Hazelbaker 

On February 5 the University of St. Thomas Journal of Law and Public Policy will host "The Armenian Genocide Within the Framework of National and International Law" from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Schulze Grand Atrium at the School of Law, 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis. 

While various tribunals were established to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity after WWII, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, and Cambodia, and the International Criminal Court was established in Rome in 2002, they have had little effect on the punishment or prevention of genocide. It has been argued that this relative ineffectiveness has contributed over the years to the emboldening of those who would consider perpetrating genocide, such as in Darfur today.

With the current trend of globalization, the disappearing of linguistic and economic borders, the tripling of the world's population since WWII, and the increasing scarcity of the resources to sustain life, the opportunities for intra-national and international conflict, including genocide, are ever greater. The immense cost of the destruction, the mass movement of refugees, and the clean-up after genocide will fall to the most humanitarian nations. It is therefore in their national interest, as well as that of the rest of the world, to create an effective international legal regime for the punishment and prevention of genocide.

In this context, the conference explores the Armenian Genocide, the archetype of modern genocide, as a case study in various aspects of national and international law on genocide. Bringing together scholars and members of the Armenian community, the symposium will also host those working in international law, including at the Hague.

The following presentations are scheduled:

Mark L. Movsesian, Frederick A. Whitney Professor of Contract Law, St. John's University School of Law, "Legal Reform (Tanzimat) in the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Genocide."

Vahakn N. Dadrian, Director of Genocide Research, Zoryan Institute, "The Turkish Military Tribunals Prosecuting the Armenian Genocide."

William A. Schabas, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway, "The Retroactive Applicability of the UN Genocide Convention to the Armenian Genocide: A Reappraisal."

Geoffrey Robertson, QC, Doughty Street Chambers, "Politics, Government, and the Armenian Genocide in the United Kingdom."

Mark C. Fleming, Partner, Litigation/Controversy Department, Willmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, "Griswold v. Driscoll: The Massachusetts Board of Education Lawsuit and the Armenian Genocide."

Eren Keskin, Turkish Human Rights Lawyer, "The Politics of Memory, Denial and the Law: A Test-case for the Independence of Turkish Justice."

Roger W. Smith, Chair, International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, "Legislating against Genocide Denial: Criminalizing Denial or Preventing Free Speech?"

The symposium is jointly organized and sponsored by the Journal of Law and Public Policy and The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute) in Conjunction with the Cafesjian Family Foundation and the Minneapolis Foundation. CLE credit has been applied for.