On Thursday, January 29, 2026, The Catholic University of America hosted a thought-provoking discussion titled A New World Order? The Future of the Nuremberg Principles: Workshop on International Criminal Law and Global Justice as Wars Rage Around the World. The event was a collaborative effort by the University’s Institute for Policy Research, Catholic Law’s Comparative and International Law Institute, and the Law School’s International Law Students Association.

Esteemed panelists included Michael Bazyler, Professor of Law and the 1939 Law Scholar in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies at Chapman University; Robert Destro, Professor of Law at Catholic Law and former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2019-2021); and the Very Rev. Dr. Mark Morozowich, Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies/Sacramental Theology in the University’s school of Theology and Religious Studies and Chair and Director, The Bishop Basil Lostern Center for Ukrainian Church Studies. Moderated by Herbert Reginbogin, Collegiate Fellow at the University’s Institute for Policy Research and Professor of International Law at Istanbul Kent University, and Susanna Frederick Fischer, Associate Professor at Catholic Law and Director of the Comparative and International Law Institute, the workshop marked the first in a series of three leading up to a two-day conference, International Criminal Law 80 Years Later: The Crossroads of Ethics, Religion, and International Law, that will take place at the University on April 12 and 13, 2027.

The discussion delved into the evolution of international law from the sovereignty-focused “Old World Order” to the accountability-driven “New World Order” established by the Nuremberg Principles, which emerged in the aftermath of World War II to hold individuals, including heads of state, accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace.

The panelists examined the enduring relevance of the Nuremberg Principles in a 21st-century world where powerful states increasingly challenge international norms through unilateral actions, withdrawal from global organizations, and disregard for established frameworks of accountability. The workshop explored these issues through theological, moral, and legal lenses, addressing critical topics such as human rights, freedom of expression, and just war theory. Participants debated whether the Nuremberg Principles remain a viable global framework for justice or if their ideals have become powerless in the face of modern geopolitical realities. This engaging discussion set the stage for the next workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 12:30 p.m., as the series continues to explore the shifting dynamics of international law and global justice.

You can view the January 29th workshop below.