Penn State Dickinson Law and The J. Sherwood McGinnis, Jr. War, Peace, and Justice Project presents:

Universal Jurisdiction

Location: Room 116 - Penn State Dickinson Law

What is universal jurisdiction, where does it draw its origins, and does recent U.S. legislation allow senior military and political officials responsible for international crimes in Ukraine to be prosecuted in the United States? Originally applied to hold pirates and slave traders accountable for their crimes, the principle of universal jurisdiction has expanded to allow prosecution of senior leaders who commit some of the most serious human rights violations around the world. Professor Groome will also speak about this issue in the context of the recent arrest warrant issued for Vladmir Putin.

Dermot Groome, Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law, has been a member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group since April 2022, which was established by the U.S. State Department to provide senior Ukrainian prosecutors with the expertise they need as they investigate and prosecute crimes committed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Join Professor Groome for a discussion about universal jurisdiction, the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, and the possible legal ramifications of the ever-evolving war in Ukraine.