Professor Ruti Teitel is the Ernst C. Stiefel Professor of Comparative Law at New York Law School, Co-Director of the Center for International Law, and Director of the Institute for Global Law, Justice, and Policy.
An internationally recognized authority on international law, international human rights, transitional justice, and comparative constitutional law, she has published three books on these subjects, including her path-breaking work, Transitional Justice, which examines the twentieth century transitions to democracy in many countries and how new regimes should respond to past violence and repression through law.
As the international community uncovers more about the atrocities being committed against Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, Professor Teitel published an op-ed with CNN that discusses how Ukraine and the international leaders can learn from past tribunals to adjudicate war crimes and examines the role of law in negotiating peace and justice in the region.
“Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly six weeks ago, it has left a path of destruction—and along the way, ignored the cardinal principle of the law of war. By destroying Ukrainian cities and killing ordinary people, including children, Russia has failed to distinguish between military and civilian targets…As the horrors of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion become more apparent, how should Ukraine and the international community react to what may be war crimes and crimes against humanity?”
“Despite the challenges of judging crimes during wartime, it’s necessary for peace.”