ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo today announced the appointment of leading international law expert Tim McCormack as his Office’s Special Advisor on International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

“Professor McCormack has a worldwide reputation for his scholarship and expertise in International Humanitarian Law,” said Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo.

“He combines deep knowledge of the law with how it has been applied in military operations” he said. “Professor McCormack will advise my Office on complex legal issues such as indiscriminate attack, proportionality and command responsibility”.

As Special Adviser to the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), Professor McCormack will focus on the application and interpretation of international humanitarian law in relation to crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court, as well as on general principles of criminal law and legal issues related to military structures.

Professor McCormack is Professor of Law at the Melbourne Law School and the Acting Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law (having served as the Founding Director from 2001 – 2009). He served as the Foundation Australian Red Cross Professor of International Humanitarian Law at the Melbourne Law School (1996-2010) until he recently stepped down from that position. He is also Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania Law School.

Professor McCormack joins other renowned legal experts on the OTP’s Advisory Council. Professor Catharine A. MacKinnon of the Michigan Law School was appointed Special Adviser on Gender Crimes in November 2008, and Professor Juan Méndez of the American University Washington is since June 2009 Special Adviser on Crime Prevention. Additionally in November 2009, Benjamin Ferencz was appointed Special Counsel to the Office of the Prosecutor and honorary member of the OTP’s advisory council. They all work on a pro-bono basis. The Rome Statute mandates the Prosecutor to appoint advisers with legal expertise on specific issues.

The International Criminal Court is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Source: ICC