The establishment of the International Criminal Court by ratification of an international treaty Thursday is being hailed by many as a landmark achievement in international criminal law.

But just whether a viable international criminal justice system -- for trying individuals for war crimes and the most serious violations of international humanitarian law -- will emerge will be the subject of a symposium at the UC Davis School of Law on Monday, April 22.

With the Bush administration vowing to oppose ratification of the treaty that Bill Clinton signed during the 11th hour of his presidency, the symposium will offer two panel discussions exploring lessons from ad hoc criminal tribunals and whether the United States should join the court.

Paul C. Szasz, former deputy legal counsel for the United Nations, will moderate the discussions, and featured speakers will include:

• David Scheffer, ambassador-at-large for war crime issues during the Clinton administration and currently senior vice president of the United Nations Association of the United States;
• Lt. Col. Mike Newton, senior adviser to the U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crime issues;
• John Washburn, convener for the American Non-Governmental Organization Coalition on the International Criminal Court;
• and Marieke Wierda, former clerk at the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal and currently senior associate at the International Center for Transitional Justice.

The symposium is being sponsored by the Homer G. and Ann Berryhill Angelo Endowed Professorship for International Legal and Communication Studies and the UC Davis Journal of International Law and Policy. The event, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Moot Court Room of King Hall, is free and open to the public.