National Lawyers

Global Rights Compliance (GRC) is an international legal foundation focussed on bringing perpetrators to justice for atrocity crime. We have a presence in the Hague, London, Washington, and Kyiv.

GRC work in Ukraine in support of the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) through several GRC Mobile Justice Teams (MJTs) who assist the OPG by providing crime scene evidence collection and analysis and real-time advice on investigations and case building. Our headquarters for this project are in Kyiv, Ukraine. GRC’s MJTs operate throughout Ukraine in areas of interest to the OPG.

Starvation Track: GRC possesses unrivalled expertise and granular knowledge of the crime of starvation, derived from a dedicated portfolio of analysis, accountability and investigative work conducted over the past four years. GRC, is the only international organization consisting of ICL lawyers that has been consistently in Ukraine since 2015 working with the OPG and CSOs to document international crimes. We have a team currently in Ukraine; language proficiency, an intimate knowledge of the operating environment; and trusted relationships with all the critical justice actors, governmental bodies, CSOs and relevant stakeholders. The blend of our technical expertise in Ukraine and subject matter expertise in relation to starvation is unique.

GRC has conducted several similar starvation investigations using OSINT experts and contractors, using those findings to develop legal submissions and pursue innovative accountability initiatives. These have been focussed on Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and Tigray primarily.

SMJT Scope: The SMJT will commence on 15 January – full time for 2 years. It will have three principal investigative focusses (i) the siege of Mariupol; (ii) the legality of the naval blockade of the Black Sea Ports in the context of starvation; and (iii) broader patterns of attacks on objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population across Ukraine.

Main responsibilities

• Legal and factual research
• Collection of information for investigative purposes
• Assistance in drafting of project deliverables
• Facilitation during the meetings and other interactions with the relevant stakeholders, including interpretation as needed
• Facilitation during crime scenes visits, if required
• Other assistance to senior lawyers and senior investigator

Attributes

Mandatory

• 3 or more years of relevant legal experience
• Practical experience working with Ukrainian justice actors
• ICL / IHL experience (in a practical application – solely academic study/work will be ineligible)
• Flexible and creative; able to work in an unstructured, changeable & fast-moving environment, proactive, anticipating problems and solutions orientated.
• Not requiring detailed guidance to get started; can be given a ‘desired outcome’ and figure out the action areas required to reach it
• Practical thinker, able to break down and pursue the elements required to operationalise a strategy
• Administratively competent; able to manage competing urgent demands.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian
• Practical experience of working with highly sensitive material and an ability to demonstrate the requisite skill in storing, sharing and working with such material.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a post-Soviet country / system
• Fluency or competency in Russian
• Experience of investigations, (including supervision of investigations), or prosecutions