https://www.the-court.eu/soc-media-tribunal
The tribunal will be opened by NOBEL LAUREATE MARIA RESSA at 10am on Monday 17th.
The Court will address systemic failures by the dominant social media platforms – including Meta (Facebook and Instagram), X, TikTok and Google (YouTube) - that use underlying business models that rely on exploiting users’ biases and weaknesses enabling polarization and radicalization and the spread of misinformation and divisiveness.
The tribunal aims to highlight how the platforms dominate global public communication and discourse without bearing any of the responsibilities of traditional stewards of the public good and should centre human rights, accountability, transparency and corporate social responsibility at theircore.
The Social Media Tribunal will be held in Berlin at the ADLON, Unter den Linden 77, 10177 (Akademieraum I).
The Victims’ Hearing will commence at 11am on Sunday 16th March followed by a 5 day tribunal (daily 9-6pm) with a judgement scheduled for Friday 21st March at 3pm.
About The Court
The Court of Citizens of the World (CCW), a People’s Tribunal, is a quasi-judicial organization that aims to bridge gaps in access to international justice by holding political and military leaders to account through considering allegations of violations of specific standards of international law in light of documentary and oral evidence presented in formal proceedings.
CCW’s legitimacy rests on 3 cornerstones:
Input: the method by which CCW was created with the intention of challenging official statist narratives about atrocities and, at the core of its mandate, opening up new avenues for justice, acknowledgment and recognition of victims. CCW was created under the patronage of Benjamin Ferencz, Nuremburg Prosecutor and Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Procedure: CCW conducts open and transparent hearings. A strong commitment to a formal legalistic approach in the proceedings negates any potential indication of bias and reinforces the notion of fair proceedings in the wider international justice system.
Output: CCW aims to establish an evidence-based record of atrocity crimes in accordance with recognised laws and procedural standards and delivers legally reasoned, deeply considered and publicly available Judgments by renowned legal professionals, including the Hon. Stephen Rapp, former US Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes Issues. The proceedings are filmed and professionally edited by the Cinema for Peace for wider outreach, public education and collective impact.
JUDGES
The Hon. SHIRA SCHEINDLIN - appointed by President Bill Clinton as a Federal Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York where she served for 22 years.
HERTA DÄUBLER-GMELIN – former German Justice Minister.
KARNIKA SETH – renowned Cyber lawyer and Public Policy Expert with 23 years of experience practicing before the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.
DEFENCE
PANTELIS MICHALOPOULOS – Partner at Steptoe LLP in the Washington office, specializing in telecommunications, media, AI, and internet law, representing major tech firms, public interest advocates, and local governments.
ANNE-GABRIELLE HAIE – Part
ner at Steptoe LLP in the Brussels office where she advises clients on a wide range of digital-related matters, with a strong focus on data protection, privacy and cybersecurity and expertise on AI and blockchain.
PROSECUTION
GABRIELE VINCENT TESE – founding partner at Cyber Law Firm, distinguished trial attorney with extensive expertise in technology and cyber law and litigation background in federal and state courts. Retired army officer with over 20 years service including roles in military intelligence and the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
ARANTXIA GEIJO JIMENEZ -Spanish attorney and expert in international criminal law and human rights law, managing partner of Geijo & Associates and former counsel for the INTERPOL General Secretariat Office of Legal Affairs.
JUDGES
The Hon. SHIRA SCHEINDLIN - appointed by President Bill Clinton as a Federal Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York where she served for 22 years.
HERTA DÄUBLER-GMELIN – former German Justice Minister.
KARNIKA SETH – renowned Cyber lawyer and Public Policy Expert with 23 years of experience practicing before the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.
DEFENCE
PANTELIS MICHALOPOULOS – Partner at Steptoe LLP in the Washington office, specializing in telecommunications, media, AI, and internet law, representing major tech firms, public interest advocates, and local governments.
ANNE-GABRIELLE HAIE – Partner at Steptoe LLP in the Brussels office where she advises clients on a wide range of digital-related matters, with a strong focus on data protection, privacy and cybersecurity and expertise on AI and blockchain.
PROSECUTION
GABRIELE VINCENT TESE – founding partner at Cyber Law Firm, distinguished trial attorney with extensive expertise in technology and cyber law and litigation background in federal and state courts. Retired army officer with over 20 years service including roles in military intelligence and the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
ARANTXIA GEIJO JIMENEZ -Spanish attorney and expert in international criminal law and human rights law, managing partner of Geijo & Associates and former counsel for the INTERPOL General Secretariat Office of Legal Affairs.
