Rate My Professor Shahram Dana

Dr. Shahram Dana is a Senior Lecturer at Griffith Law School, Griffith University, specializing in international criminal law and human rights. He teaches courses on international law, criminal law, human rights, and international criminal justice. Dana's research explores the law's capacity to shape the behavior of powerful individuals and elites, disrupt violence, and address issues such as Australia's response to allegations of war crimes committed by its soldiers in Afghanistan. His academic interests also encompass globalization and public international law. Key publications include 'The Sentencing Legacy of the Special Court for Sierra Leone' (2014), 'The Enabler Theory and Atrocity Crimes' (2019), 'Beyond Retroactivity to Realizing Justice: A Theory on the Principle of Legality in International Criminal Law Sentencing' (2009), 'Blood Diamonds and Mass Atrocities: Cutting a New Paradigm from Coarse Jurisprudence' (2013), 'The Limits of Judicial Idealism: Should the International Criminal Court Engage with Consequentialist Aspirations?' (2014), 'Genocide, Reconciliation, and Sentencing in the Jurisprudence of the ICTY' (2009), and 'Revisiting the Blaškić Sentence: Some Reflections on the Sentencing Jurisprudence of the ICTY' (2004). He has served as a Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University Law School.

Dana's career trajectory is marked by extensive international experience in human rights and criminal justice. He commenced as a journalist across print, radio, and broadcast media in the United States, followed by practice as a criminal trial lawyer. He interned for six months at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, aiding prosecutions of senior political and military figures for genocide and crimes against humanity. As a legal officer in the Office of the Prosecutor, he gathered evidence and took witness statements for Bosnian War cases, including against former President Slobodan Milošević. Additional appointments include Commissioner investigating police torture allegations in Chicago; trainer selected by The Hague Forum for Judicial Expertise to educate judges, prosecutors, and officials on crimes against humanity, human rights, and the International Criminal Court; leader of a human rights delegation to Vietnam that enabled Amnesty International's post-war access; and lead facilitator for the International Law Initiative's training program at the African Center for Legal Excellence in Uganda for professionals from over twenty African countries. In 2021, Dana received the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Top 5 media residency award, selected from nearly 400 applicants as a leading humanities expert. At Griffith, he inspires students toward social justice and advocacy for marginalized groups.