Melanie Klinkner

Professor Melanie Klinkner is a leading academic in international law and human rights at Bournemouth University, specializing in mass grave protection, transitional justice, and missing persons issues. She holds the academic rank of Professor in the Department of International Law and is affiliated with the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at Oxford University. Her research focuses on developing legal frameworks for mass grave protection (MaGPIE project), victim participation rights, and collaboration with organizations like the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored key publications including The Right to the Truth in International Law and the Bournemouth Protocol.

She leads a £1.6M 5-year ERC-funded project (MaGPIE) and previously directed a Global Challenges Research Fund project on victim family perspectives. Her work intersects forensic science, legal policy, and interdisciplinary approaches to global justice. Awards include Fellowship at the Academy of Social Science and ICMP Expert Panel membership.

Her teaching portfolio includes international criminal law, human rights law, and public international law. Current research grants include Missing Persons Indicator Development (HEIF) and MaGMap (Leverhulme Trust). She supervises multiple PhD students exploring topics like truth-telling mechanisms, post-Brexit divides, and indigenous mass grave rights.