Job vacancy: Associate Legal Advisor | Full-time

eyeWitness seeks to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice by providing technical expertise in building photo and video dossiers that can be authenticated for use in criminal investigations or trials.

eyeWitness has developed technology that allows users to capture photos and video with a mobile camera app which embeds metadata to verify where and when the footage was taken, and whether the image was altered or not. Both the images and the metadata are stored in a secure gallery within the app until the user submits them to a storage database controlled by eyeWitness and hosted by Lexis Nexis. The organisation’s transmission protocols and secure server system create a chain of custody that allows this information to be presented in court.

An expert legal team analyses all information received, identifies the appropriate international, regional and/or national bodies to investigate further, and liaises with these mechanisms and our partner organisations to ensure the material is acted upon.

Our organisation achieves its goals by developing close partnerships with litigators and organisations on the frontlines documenting human rights violations and other abuses that can amount to core international crimes (genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity). By providing these organisations with our technology and legal expertise, we ensure that the images can be authenticated for use in criminal investigations or trials, or for any other accountability efforts.

eyeWitness is a charity registered in the UK and governed by a Board of Trustees, with additional expertise provided by an Advisory Board. The names and affiliations of the Board members can be found on our website www.eyewitness.global. eyeWitness was created as an initiative of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the employment contract will be with the IBA.

The role

We are seeking a legal professional with experience in international litigation who also has strong interpersonal skills and a genuine interest in outreach, training, relationship-building and capacity strengthening.

While working on legal accountability strategies is a key component of this role, this position equally involves engaging with civil society partners, training frontline documenters, and strengthening networks that support accountability.

You should be comfortable moving between legal analysis and strategic litigation work and collaborating with human rights organisations. This position is ideal for someone who therefore values both legal impact and direct engagement with frontline partners.

The ideal candidate will have a litigation background with experience at an international tribunal or in human rights-focused litigation and strong communication skills to engage with partners in the field.

Accountability and Legal Strategy

• Analysing photo and video evidence captured with the eyeWitness app to assess its potential for legal action.
• Researching and identifying strategic avenues for pursuing justice at national and international levels.
• Working in consortium with local activists, victims’ lawyers and litigation NGOs to bring justice for core international crimes and other human rights abuses, including cooperating with domestic law enforcement and international mechanisms (such as the UN and the ICC).
• Developing relationships with entities within relevant jurisdictions and/or UN bodies regarding possible collaborations with eyeWitness.

Outreach, Relationship-Building and Training

• Developing and maintaining partnerships with human rights organisations documenting atrocities.
• Developing and delivering field-based trainings for partner organisations and provide follow-up guidance as needed.
• Representing the organisation at conferences, working groups, and in discussions with civil society, international institutions, and legal bodies.
• Developing and updating training materials on the eyeWitness app and other related international justice topics.

Additional Considerations

Candidates should be prepared to

• o Review graphic content related to atrocity crimes.
• o Travel internationally, including to countries where the security situation may be unstable.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required

• First level university degree in law.
• Advanced degree in criminal law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, or international human rights law (desirable).
• Minimum of three years’ experience in conducting criminal and/or human rights investigations, building cases and drafting submissions, and identifying and pursuing legal avenues for justice at national and international levels.
• Strong understanding of international criminal law, evidence standards, and justice mechanisms (national, regional, and international).
• Experience working with digital evidence, particularly photo and video, user-generated content and open-source materials in legal proceedings (desirable).
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to represent eyeWitness externally and explain legal concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience training and engaging with civil society organisations on documentation and legal accountability.
• Experience developing partnerships and collaborating with external stakeholders (lawyers, activists, NGOs, investigators, etc.).
• Project management skills, including designing and implementing legal accountability initiatives.
• Experience working in a fast-moving and responsive environment – able to work independently, manage multiple responsibilities/priorities, and adapt to changing circumstances/ adjusting priorities at short notice.
• Experience working with international accountability mechanisms, such as the ICC, UN bodies, or universal jurisdiction cases.
• Experience working with databases; strong IT skills; knowledge of Excel.
• Knowledge of languages other than English, in particular Arabic (highly desirable).

Salary:

£40,000 per annum