The expressive function of accountability orientated human rights fact-finding

I am interested in the connection between human rights fact-finding and global governance, and the phenomenon of the investigation in global politics (e.g., fact-finding work by NGOs, UN inquiries, (rhetorical) calls for investigations after atrocity etc.). My project will focus on fact-finding work that attempts to establish criminal accountability for major human rights violations. The aim is to test a hypothesis that accountability orientated fact-finding work deploys expressive power in global politics. This power is discursive and classificatory in nature – the power to define with authority certain situations as international crimes and certain people as international criminals. In addition, in so far as fact-finding can be a quasi-judicial form of investigative work, it also expresses and circulates more subtle cultural meanings and values in international affairs. My project will use a genealogical approach to test this hypothesis.

Prior to coming to the DCGC I worked in Australian law enforcement for five and a half years. From 2011 to 2015 I worked as an intelligence analyst on a homicide investigation team at the New South Wales Crime Commission. I have a law degree from Macquarie University and an LLM form the University of Sydney.