Michael G. Karnavas, International Criminal Defense Lawyer

Michael G. Karnavas is an American trained lawyer.  He is licensed in Alaska and Massachusetts and is qualified to appear before the various international tribunals, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).   Residing and practicing primarily in The Hague, he is recognized as an expert in international criminal defence, including, pre-trial, trial, and appellate advocacy.

Practicing law for over 30 years, Mr. Karnavas has appeared before State and Federal Courts in the USA, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). 

For the past 20 years, Mr. Karnavas has taught trial advocacy skills to lawyers and law students, has lectured extensively on international criminal law and procedure, has authored trial advocacy practice manuals, articles, and book chapters on international criminal law and procedure, and has been engaged in a variety of development projects in Europe and Asia related to the Rule of Law. 

From October 2006 to March 2009, Mr. Karnavas served as the President of the Association of Defence Counsel Practicing Before the ICTY (ADC-ICTY), and since 2003 has served on numerous committees at the ICTY, including the Rules Committee and the Training Committee.