While in London, I also enjoyed undertaking a tour of the UK Houses of Parliament. The first Royal Palace built on the site of the current Palace of Westminster was constructed in the eleventh century. Despite two major fires destroying significant portions of the Palace in 1512 and 1834, some of the original medieval sections […]

During my week in London, I also had the pleasure of meeting with the National Director of the Britain-Australia Society, Mr Dale Eaton.  Mr Eaton provided me with a thorough précis of the history of the Society and its current operations.  In 1971, Sir Robert Menzies and former British Prime Minister, Sir Alex Douglas-Home founded two […]

In between meetings last week, I took the opportunity to observe two criminal trials being conducted at the Old Bailey in London. I observed part of a manslaughter trial and a fraud trial. Except for the different accents, I could have been observing criminal law trials in the Queensland Supreme or District Courts. It was exciting for […]

Last week I was also privileged to meet with the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, the Hon Alexander Downer AC at Australia House in London. The Hon Alexander Downer AC spent 24 years in Federal Parliament and served as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007 (making him Australia’s longest serving Foreign […]

Last week, I met with two members of the Campaign Team at Conservative Party Headquaters in London. I was privileged to receive a tour of the office and a comprehensive presentation about the digital campaign techniques used by the Conservative Party during the most recent election. This information will be included in the final report […]

Last week I concluded my internship in the Immediate Office of the Prosecutor at the ICTY.  While at the Tribunal, I was given the opportunity to undertake a major legal research project, assist with a case in the trial division of the Tribunal and assist with the editing of a book about prosecuting sexual violence […]

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the newly appointed Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands, His Excellency Dr Brett Mason. Former Queensland Senator, Dr Brett Mason, presented his credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on 2 September 2015.  As well as Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr Mason is now Australia’s Permanent Representative to […]

On 29 July 2015, a United Nations Security Council draft resolution proposing the creation of an international tribunal to prosecute those suspected of downing a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane in eastern Ukraine in 2014 was vetoed by Russia.  The draft resolution was proposed by Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands and Ukraine.  Eleven countries of the 15 […]

The ICTY is comprised of three main branches, the Chamber (Judges), the Registry and the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP).  The OTP is also divided into three sections, the Immediate Office, the Trial Division and the Appeals Division.  I am one of four interns current working in the Immediate Office of the Prosecutor.  The Immediate […]

On a recent personal trip to Copenhagen I visited Christiansborg Palace, the home of the Danish Parliament.  This was particularly thrilling for me as someone who is a big fan of the Danish TV show Borgen.  Borgen is the nickname for Christiansborg Palace and means “the Castle”. The first castle on this site was built […]