Santa Clara and Stanford Law Schools Co-sponsor Colloquium

Santa Clara University Law School and the Santa Clara Institute of International and Comparative Law, together with Stanford Law School, the Stanford Rule of Law Program, and the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, are hosting a Global Jurisprudence Colloquium at Stanford University on March 17-18, 2005, on the theme of “Decisions of International Legal Institutions: Compliance and Enforcement.”

The Colloquium is modeled upon Yale Law School’s Global Constitutionalism Project, which brings together judges from the world’s constitutional courts to discuss issues of constitutional interpretation and adjudication.  The Santa Clara/Stanford Colloquium will provide leading judges from the major international judicial institutions with an opportunity to interact and share their insights into issues presented by the growing use of international courts to promote the rule of law.  “The Colloquium capitalizes on the recent creation of a new legal professional; the international law judge,” explains Santa Clara Law Professor Beth Van Schaack, who participated in Yale’s Global Constitutionalism Project as a law student.  “The idea is to create a forum for international law judges to discuss common challenges of enforcement and to share techniques for ensuring that their judgments and decrees are complied with.” 

On March 17th the judges will engage in private, peer-to-peer discussions on compliance and enforcement of international judicial rulings and decrees.  On March 18th the Colloquium participants, joined by distinguished international law and international relations faculty of both institutions, will hold three panel discussions, each on a particular theme related to the historic challenge of improving the enforcement of international law and enhancing the global rule of law. These panel discussions will be held at Stanford Law School and are open to the two University communities and the general public.  For more information please visit:  http://www.law.stanford.edu/programs/academic/ruleoflaw/globaljurisprudence/schedule.html

Distinguished international jurists scheduled to participate in the Colloquium include:

• Judges Higgins and Owada of the International Court of Justice

• Judges Pillay and Song of the International Criminal Court

• President Meron and Judges Robinson and Mumba of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

• Judge Ameli of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal

• Judge Kokott of the European Court of Justice

• Judge Greve of the European Court of Human Rights

• Judge Robertson of the Special Court for Sierra Leone

“Bringing this distinguished group together in one room presents a rare opportunity to gain insight into the practice of international law adjudication,” noted Bob Peterson, Director of the Institute for International and Comparative Law.  “We are particularly delighted to welcome Judge Higgins back to the Bay Area.”  Judge Higgins gave the keynote address at the Santa Clara Law Review’s recent symposium on “International Law in the United States Legal System: Observance, Application, and Enforcement.”  For more information on the symposium please visit:  http://lawscuedustage.wpengine.com/lawreview/symposium.html 

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. To register please visit: http://www.law.stanford.edu/programs/academic/ruleoflaw/globaljurisprudence/.

For more information on the participating judicial institutions, visit the following web sites: