The scope for detailed public discussion, dissection, and debate concerning individual operational incidents involving killing, destruction and detention — to name only the currently most topical issues — has radically expanded in the last decade. Driven by the ubiquitous availability and increasing speed of information technology and exchange, the evolution and expansion of applicable law and increased avenues for scrutiny, greater political and public sensitivity, and the maturing capabilities of non-State investigators and assessors of conduct — such as NGO’s — the investigation of operational incidents now often takes place in a highly contested, contestable, and public dialogue space.

This conference will examine the investigation of operational incidents from a multi-disciplinary perspective, focussing on themes, mechanisms, and case studies via a combination of law, political science, and history. The conference is intentionally eclectic, drawing upon important precedents such as Northern Ireland and Somalia, recent case studies from Afghanistan and Iraq, thematic issues such as investigative frameworks and transparency, and non-State perspectives on issues associated with investigating operational incidents.

The conference will be of interest to: individuals from military, international organisation, and NGO backgrounds who work within use of force and accountability contexts; policy and legal advisers; and academics and students who work/study in the area of legal and political controls on use of force, and operational consequence management.

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