Professor Michael Newton has been appointed to a panel of 7 eminent jurists tasked with finding ways to deter states from arbitrarily arresting, detaining, or sentencing foreigners for diplomatic leverage.
The Independent International Panel on Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations was established by Global Affairs Canada, in service of a declaration by Canada and over 70 endorsing countries to raise awareness and stop the practice of arbitrary detention. It will analyze existing international legal frameworks, identify gaps, and develop recommendations to strengthen the norms related to arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations, with a final report to be issued in June 2025.
Other panelists include Charles C. Jalloh, Marja Lehto, Claudio Grossman, Jelena Pejic, Seong-Phil Hong, and Shaheen Sardar Ali.
Michael Newton is widely recognized as an authoritative figure on issues related to terrorism, transnational justice, and the conduct of hostilities. His career includes a prolific portfolio of more than 100 publications, expert witness roles in terrorism trials, and inclusion in the International Criminal Court (ICC) List of Counsel. Professor Newton directs Vanderbilt Law School’s International Law Practice Lab and International Legal Studies Program. Notably, he was the Senior Advisor to the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues. In this role, he implemented policy positions related to accountability mechanisms in ad hoc international tribunals and other internationalized hybrid efforts and played a pivotal role in negotiating the ICC’s Elements of Crimes document. He was on the UN planning mission that established the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He also coordinated U.S. support and provided advice on accountability mechanisms in Iraq and other tribunals.
