Prof. Ronald Slye of University of Seattle to deliver 17th Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture

The 17th Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture titled ‘Difficult Issues, Strategic Choices: Crafting a Coherent Sri Lankan Transitional Justice Process’ will be delivered by Ronald C. Slye, Professor of Law at the University of Seattle School of Law on Sunday 31 July at 6 p.m. at the BMICH, Committee Room A.

Professor Slye teaches, writes and consults in the areas of public international law, international criminal law, transitional justice, and international human rights law. From August 2009 to August 2013 he was chosen by Kofi Annan to be one of three international Commissioners for the Kenyan Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission. 

He is a legal advisor to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, and was an international consultant to the South African Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission. At Seattle University he previously served as Director of the Law School›s International and Comparative Programmes, the Centre for Global Justice, and the Global Justice in South Africa summer programme, which he helped to create.

Before joining the faculty, Professor Slye was an assistant professor and Robert Cover Fellow in the clinical programme at Yale Law School, where he taught an interdisciplinary transactional clinical course focusing on homelessness and housing, as well as immigration law and poverty law. He also served as associate director of Yale›s Orville H. Schell, Jr., Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School and taught in Yale›s international human rights law clinic. 

Professor Slye was a visiting professor at the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa from 1996-97 and, while there, served as legal consultant to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He is currently writing a book on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its amnesty process, and a book on the Kenyan Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

Prof. Slye has written other books and contributed with book chapters, reviews and a number of articles as well. 

The memorial lecture is organised each year by the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, a philanthropic organisation supporting community efforts to promote peace building, social justice and reconciliation.  

The lecture marks the death anniversary of Dr. Tiruchelvam on 29 July and celebrates his life and work by inviting scholars, writers and development professionals to reflect on, and engage with important ideas of our time.

This is a public event and all are warmly welcome to attend.