Prof. Antonios F. Abou Kasm

Antonios F. ABOU KASM,  is an Attorney at Law – member of the Beirut Bar Association, and a Professor of International law at the Faculty of Law and political and administrative sciences of the Lebanese University, a lecturer at the Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College and at the Research and Strategic Studies Centre of the Lebanese Army, and previously a Director of the Faculty of Law and political and administrative sciences of the Lebanese University (4th Branch) and a Professor of Public Law at the Political Sciences Institute of The Université Saint Joseph.
 
Me. ABOU KASM, is admitted to International Practice, he exercised (between 2014-2018) as a Lead Defense Counsel at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon assigned by the Court. Also, he is admitted to the list of Counsel of the International Criminal Court (ICC -The Hague), and he is an active member of the ICC Bar Association then he was elected by the General Assembly as the Chairman of the ICCBA’s Professional Standards Advisory Committee for two consecutive mandates (2017-2019), and also as a member of the Defense Committee. 

Antonios is a Doctor of Laws, he holds many academic degrees with honors and high distinctions; he obtained a French Doctorate in International Law (Summa Cum Laude) from Pierre Mendès France University – Grenoble II. He holds an LL.M in Public law/International law (Lebanese University) and a Master Recherche II in Political Sciences (USJ and the Paris I Sorbonne University). In the field of International Law, he obtained professional diplomas from the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, The Hague Academy of International Law, the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of the Leiden University, the Penn State Dickinson Law, The University of Delaware, the Association of Defence Counsel practicing before the International criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and from the International Criminal Court Bar Association. 

He was selected several times by the United Nations to perform programmes as a scholarship holder, he represented Lebanon in the International Law seminar (45th session) thus he participated in the works of the International Law Commission at the UNOG (61st session) held at The United Nations Office at Geneva (6-24 July 2009), also he successfully performed the United Nations International law fellowship programme (June – August 2014). He attended many seminars and intensive courses in the field of International Law, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. He has completed with success the U.S. Department of State’ Program on U.S. National Security Policymaking (4 Jan. – 16 Feb. 2018 held in the United States of America). 

Dr. ABOU KASM is an International Law expert listed at “The T.M.C. Asser Institute” in The Hague; he’s a member of the Association of Attendees and Alumni of The Hague Academy of International Law – A.A.A. and of the SFDI "Société française pour le droit international", and he is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State. Among this, he is assuming responsibilities at the Beirut Bar Association in the framework of the follow up Commission of the Special Tribunal and the Strategic committee. 

He is the author of the legal book entitled The Special Tribunal for Lebanon – Legal challenges and strategic issues (2 Vol.) and the legal book entitled The role of the constitutional judiciary in the establishment of the Rule of Law in Lebanon, besides being the author of several legal books and articles dealing with International Law, International Relations and Political Sciences, published in Lebanon and in EU, devoted principally to different contemporary issues implying Lebanon (Repression of the July 12th 2006 crimes; the settlement process of the maritime boundaries’ dispute between Lebanon and Israel on the Petroleum resources; the qualification of the Syrian refugees' legal status under International immigration and refugees law and EU regulations; the International Law and the supremacy of the constitutions; the adoption of a sanitary emergency law in Lebanon; the responsibility of the Lebanese State and the non-applicability of statutory limitations to war crimes; the competent Lebanese institutions to decide on Eurobonds and the international liability; the UN Security Council recourse to democratic intervention in Lebanon; the recovery of stolen Lebanese asset located abroad: legal mechanisms under international law; the defense strategy and the problem of the implementation of the UNSC Resolutions 1559 and 1701; Civil peace versus justice: a new social contract based on consensual justice; une justice « à la carte » au nom de la paix civile ?; vers une intervention internationale pour lutter contre la corruption au Liban. etc.). Also, he is one of the Authors of the Nuremberg’s Common Code of Professional Conduct for all Counsel appearing before the International Criminal Tribunals.

Dr. ABOU KASM, has participated as an invited speaker to international colloquiums on International Law topics held in France, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, The Netherlands, USA, Thailand and Lebanon.