Legal Professions Research Group (LPRG) members lead global symposium on Professionalism in International Criminal Justice
LPRG is delighted to announce the publication of a major symposium in the Journal of International Criminal Justice on 'Professionals & Professionalism(s) in International Criminal Justice'.
The Symposium is co-edited by LPRG members Associate Professor Alex Batesmith and Dr Ilaria Zavoli, in collaboration with Dr Nora Stappert from the University of Copenhagen.
This landmark project has been several years in the making. It began with an international conference hosted at the University of Leeds School of Law in July 2023, followed by an authors’ workshop in Copenhagen and a presentation at Tilberg University, both in June 2024.
Critical questions
The symposium brings together leading scholars and practitioners from across the world to explore critical questions about professionalism in international criminal law, including:
- What does professionalism mean in this field, and what values underpin it?
- How are standards of professional behaviour determined – and by whom?
- What role do leadership cultures and power structures play?
- How do identity, diversity, and future challenges shape the professions?
Thought-provoking insights
The symposium reveals several novel and thought-provoking insights about professionalism in international criminal justice:
1. Professionalism is Plural, Not Singular
The research challenges the assumption of a single, universal standard of professionalism. Instead, it shows that multiple, context-dependent “professionalism(s)” exist – shaped by institutional cultures, power dynamics, and local practices.
2. Emotional Labour as a Core Professional Skill
Contributions highlight the often-overlooked emotional dimension of international criminal lawyering. Emotional labour – managing trauma, empathy, and resilience – is integral to professional identity, yet rarely acknowledged in formal standards.
3. Myth of Neutrality in Strategic Litigation
Findings question the long-standing belief that international criminal lawyers operate in a neutral, apolitical space. Strategic litigation practices reveal how professional roles are deeply intertwined with advocacy and normative agendas.
4. Expert Witnesses as Influencers, Not Just Educators
The symposium uncovers the significant influence expert witnesses exert on judicial decision-making – sometimes shaping outcomes more than anticipated – raising questions about deference and authority in professional hierarchies.
5. Civil Society as Emerging Professional Actors
Research on Ukraine shows how civil society groups are innovating documentation practices, creating new professional networks and standards outside traditional institutional frameworks.
6. Power Structures and Leadership Cultures Matter
Professional norms are not static – they are negotiated within leadership cultures and institutional hierarchies, affecting who sets standards and whose voices count.
Why are these findings significant?
This work moves beyond narrow, rule-based definitions of professionalism to explore its social, emotional, and political dimensions. It shows that professional identity in international criminal justice is contested, evolving, and deeply relational, opening new avenues for research on diversity, ethics, and legitimacy.
Mr Batesmith says:
This collaboration exemplifies LPRG’s commitment to fostering global dialogue on the evolving nature of legal professionalism.
To read the Symposium, start here.
Mr Batesmith is the Co-Director of the Legal Professions Research Group, and is a member of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies and the Centre for Innovation and Research in Criminological and Legal Education. He can be found on LinkedIn here. Dr Zavoli is a member of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies and the Centre for Business Law and Practice. She can be found on LinkedIn here.
