William Schabas

Professor William Schabas is a leading scholar at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he serves as Professor of International Law with a focus on human rights and Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. His expertise spans international law, human rights litigation, and atrocity crimes, with significant contributions to understanding genocide, war crimes, and the expansion of crimes against humanity in international jurisprudence.

His research explores the tension between the legal definition of genocide and its broader societal interpretations, as highlighted in his 2010 Hugo Valentin Lecture "What's in a Word? Atrocity Crimes and the 'Genocide' Label". Schabas has authored influential publications on these topics, including works on the UN tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.

As Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, he plays a pivotal role in advancing research and education in international human rights law. His career includes service on the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission, underscoring his practical and academic engagement with global justice mechanisms.