The government of Ukraine today announced the formation of a legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine to support Ukraine in delivering justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
The full statement released by the government of Ukraine is available below and can be accessed here. Biographies of the Task Force members are included below.
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Iryna Venediktova, commented: “We are grateful to this esteemed group for their support for Ukraine. Their assistance and guidance will be invaluable in the process of securing justice for Ukrainian victims and rebuilding our state.”
Amal Clooney added: ‘I am honoured to have been asked by the government of Ukraine to be a member of their legal task force on accountability. Ukrainians deserve to see perpetrators held to account and to recover compensation for the horrific abuses they are suffering. I am privileged to be working alongside such a distinguished group of lawyers and experts in this endeavour to ensure that nobody is above the law and that survivors will have their day in court.’
The government of Ukraine today announces the formation of a legal Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine to support Ukraine in delivering justice for victims of international crimes committed by Russia in our country.
The task force is comprised of some of the world’s leading international human rights lawyers: Amal Clooney and Baroness Helena Kennedy QC of Doughty Street Chambers, Richard Hermer QC, Tim Otty QC, Philippa Webb, and Lord Neuberger, the former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The task force will also include legal experts from U.S. firm Covington & Burling LLP, led by Nikhil Gore, the French firm Sygna Partners, led by Luke Vidal, as well as the Withers firm, led by Emma Lindsay. Each of these firms is already representing Ukraine, including at the International Court of Justice.
he task force will be supported by leading academics in the field of international humanitarian law including Professor Marko Milanovic (University of Nottingham) and Professor Andrew Clapham (Graduate Institute, Geneva) as well as the Centre for International Governance and Dispute Resolution at King’s College London, the Clooney Foundation for Justice and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute.
All members of the task force and the supporting lawyers and academics will carry out their work on a pro bono basis.
The remit of the task force will encompass advice on proposals for accountability including through the United Nations and regional organisations; advice and potential representation relating to civil and criminal cases (including under universal jurisdiction laws) to secure accountability and reparations in national jurisdictions; and strategic guidance on Ukraine’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
Microsoft Corporation will serve as the technology partner to the task force and will provide technological assistance free of charge to help with securing, analysing and sharing evidence of international crimes with appropriate authorities.
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Official statement Ukranian Government
Amal Clooney Style 