Cultural Experts at the International Criminal Court (ICC)

The Local and the International

Abstract

This paper extends existing research on cultural expertise in domestic settings to international courtrooms where several cultures, religions and worldviews are represented. This exercise reduces the widespread knowledge gap on the cultural particularities of post-conflict communities. In the interim, such research also can bridge the gap between the Western lawyers who currently are the most prevalent in international courts, and the members of post-conflict communities who usually appear on its docket. This article suggests that by including cultural expertise, the ICC can take one more step toward becoming a truly international court.