Last week, Professor Milena Sterio participated the in conference on the “Legacy of the Special Court for Sierra Leone” in Freetown, Sierra Leone last week. Established through an agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations, the Special Court for Sierra Leone was an international tribunal situated in Freetown. Its purpose was to prosecute individuals deemed most accountable for the atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone civil war (1991-1999). Commencing in 2002, the court transitioned into its residual phase in 2013.

The conference at which Professor Sterio spoke focused on examining the legacy and the major achievements of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, through various panels composed of both international experts and Sierra Leonian judges and other legal professionals. Professor Sterio led a discussion group with the victims of conflict in Sierra Leone and other West African states; in addition, she spoke at a panel on the topic of building judicial capacity in Sierra Leone and other states, and she also moderated a panel on the future of residual and investigative mechanisms.