Alison A. Smith
Legal Counsel and International Justice Director
Alison Smith is the Legal Counsel and Director of the International Criminal Justice Program for No Peace Without Justice, having formerly worked as the Country Director in Sierra Leone for No Peace Without Justice. In addition, she served as the chief legal adviser to the Vice President of Sierra Leone on the Special Court and international humanitarian law.
She has acted as international legal adviser to a number of clients including de facto states and governments in exile, and has worked with No Peace Without Justice and UNICEF on the production of a book on international criminal law and children. Since 2000, she has worked as a legal adviser to the government of Thailand during the United Nations Preparatory Commissions for the establishment of an International Criminal Court and during the first sessions of the Assembly of States Parties. Ms Smith worked in Kosovo as an international legal officer for the International Crisis Group’s Humanitarian Law Documentation Project, which gathered statements from victims and witnesses of violations international humanitarian law in Kosovo. Prior to that, she was a researcher at the Kennedy School of Government’s Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. From March to June 2013, she was on temporary special leave of absence, as acting Head of Office and Senior Legal Adviser to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, to assist with the completion and wrap-up of its work.
Ms Smith is an Australian barrister and holds a Masters Degree in International Law from the Australian National University.