Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)
First Advisor
Professor Steven R. Ratner
Second Advisor
Professor Christine M. Chinkin
Third Advisor
Professor Karima E. Bennoune
Abstract
This dissertation explores the issues associated with standards of proof in international investigations, with a specific focus on investigations into mass atrocities in international law. I draw and build on the experiences of UN commissions of inquiry. The law establishes (or should establish) evidential standards that aid the determination of facts. However, much of international law has been a bystander in prescribing standards of proof for decision-making. Intuitionists in international law even minimize or disregard the centrality of standards, suggesting that decision-makers anyway rationally decide without reference to formal standards. International law rarely acknowledges the evident: international investigative bodies develop proof for evidence-based decision-making, and standards of proof matter, necessitating the development of a framework built on principled theoretical and practical underpinnings.
Citation
Temprosa, Francis Tom, "Proving Mass Atrocities in UN Commissions of Inquiry: From Practice to Theory" (2026). SJD Dissertations.
https://repository.law.umich.edu/sjd/21
Front Matter: Proving Mass Atrocities in UN Commissions of Inquiry
Included in
Human Rights Law Commons, International Humanitarian Law Commons, International Law Commons