Tim McCormack

Tim McCormack is a Professor of International Law at the University of Tasmania and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. He holds the position of Faculty of Law at the Sandy Bay Campus. His career includes significant international roles such as former Special Adviser on War Crimes to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (2010–2024), and appointments to prestigious positions like James Barr Ames Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School (2016, 2020). He completed his LLB (Hons) at the University of Tasmania (1982) and PhD in International Law at Monash University (1990).

McCormack’s research focuses on international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and war crimes. He has contributed to landmark publications such as Civility, Barbarism and the Evolution of International Humanitarian Law (2024) and Australia's War Crimes Trials 1945-1951 (2016). His work spans treaty negotiations, legal frameworks for emerging technologies in warfare, and accountability mechanisms for international crimes.

He has led projects such as the Pathway to Truth-Telling and Treaty with Tasmania’s Aboriginal People (2021) and the Independent Inquiry into Tasmanian Government Schools Abuse (2020). Awards include the Australian Red Cross Distinguished Service Medal (2014) and the Golda Meir Postdoctoral Fellowship (Hebrew University, 1990s).

McCormack serves on advisory boards for academic institutions globally and editorial boards of leading journals. His current supervision includes doctoral research on international criminal justice, refugee law, and emerging technologies in conflict.

• Key Projects: An erosion of humanity? Attempts to constrain war in the modern period (UTAS-funded, 2017)
• Labs/Teams: Asia-Pacific Centre for Military Law (founding director, 2001–2010)