Conceptualizing Professionalism(s) in International Criminal Justice

This symposium examines competing and converging assumptions about professionalism, professional behaviour, and a professional sense of self held among those who work within and around the field of international criminal justice. By asking what ‘counts’ as professional behaviour in international criminal justice, contributions to the symposium examine how different types of expertise are navigated in the field, which kinds of professionalism are overlooked, and what tensions exist among different conceptions of professionalism. Ultimately, however, what counts as professionalism at times becomes implicitly defined by its opposite, namely, behaviour that amounts to unprofessional conduct. Contributions therefore also examine boundaries of professionalism, a focus that has gained further urgency amidst recent accusations of unprofessional behaviour levelled against senior professionals in the field. The symposium brings together a diverse group of contributors, including academics and practitioners, who provide fresh insights into the multifaceted nature of professional identity and conceptions of professionalism in international criminal justice, enriching our understanding and fostering a continuing discussion of what it means to be a professional in this complex field.