Lecture by international human rights lawyer

07 May 2009

Over 800 guests attended St George's Hall to hear the highly-respected prosecutor deliver the lecture entitled 'International criminal law as an innovative instrument to prosecute and prevent genocide: the role of the International Criminal Court.'

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Luis Moreno-Ocampo first worked as a prosecutor in his home country, coming to public attention in 1985 when he was Deputy Public Prosecutor in the trial for human rights abuses of former members of Argentina’s military government. In 1987 he became District Attorney and prosecuted military commanders responsible for the Falklands War and the leaders of two military rebellions, as well as being involved in many high profile corruption cases.

Resigning as Prosecutor in 1992, he established a private law firm, Moreno-Ocampo & Wortman Joffe, defending several controversial figures including Diego Maradona. He also represented the victims in extradition proceedings against Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke and during the trial of the murderer of Chilean General Carlos Prats.

In 2003, Luis Moreno-Ocampo was unanimously elected as the first Prosecutor of the new International Criminal Court. The Court is the world’s first permanent institution with responsibility for trying war crimes and crimes against humanity. Since the beginning of his nine-year term, Moreno-Ocampo has opened investigations involving Northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Darfur.

In addition Luis Moreno-Ocampo has been Associate Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Buenos Aires, visiting professor at Harvard Law School and Stanford University, and has worked with the United Nations.