Bolstering international criminal investigations

In a recent publication, CIJA Executive Director, William Wiley and CIJA Chief Analyst, Ewan Brown examine the challenges faced by international prosecutors responsible for the investigation of complex crimes. The authors, both of whom have decades of experience in international investigations, review the investigative practices of the ICTY, ICTR and ICC, analysing both their strengths and shortcomings. The article notes that current international justice institutions have failed to heed the lessons of their predecessors thereby perpetuating poor judicial outcomes. Drawing on the authors´ rich experience gathered in international courts and tribunals as well as CIJA, the authors outline strategies for effective staffing, planning and management of the collection of crime base as well as linkage evidence, arguing for innovation in the gathering of contextual evidence and for more robust evidence review processes in complex criminal investigations. 

Reference: Ewan Brown and William H. Wiley, “International Criminal Investigative Collection Planning, Collection Management and Evidence Review”, in Xabier Agirre Aranburu, Morten Bergsmo, Simon De Smet and Carsten Stahn (editors), Quality Control in Criminal Investigation, Torkel Opsahl Academic EPublisher, Brussels, 2020