Shannon Fyfe Discusses the Legacy of Srebrenica at International Conference Fyfe’s research on genocide prevention drew attention from Bosnian media during the 31st anniversary commemoration.

By Law Communications
July 16, 2026

 

Washington and Lee law professor Shannon Fyfe recently presented her scholarship at a conference in Bosnia and Herzegovina commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, where she discussed the limitations of international law in preventing mass atrocities and reflected on the enduring significance of one of the defining events in modern international criminal law.

Fyfe spoke at “Srebrenica 1995: The Culmination of Genocide and the Aggression Against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” held July 3–4 in Sarajevo and Srebrenica. The conference brought together scholars and legal experts from around the world to examine the legacy of the 1995 genocide and contemporary challenges in international justice.

Following her presentation, Fyfe was interviewed by Bosnia’s national news agency, FENA, with the interview later republished by several Bosnian news outlets, including Faktor. Drawing on research from her recently published article “The Futility of ‘Genocide’ in Ending a Genocide,” Fyfe argued that while the legal concept of genocide can carry enormous moral weight, international legal institutions have often proven incapable of preventing or stopping atrocities.

“Srebrenica is a clear example of justice coming too little too late,” said Fyfe in the report. “In their 1993 application to the International Court of Justice by Bosnia & Herzegovina, they believed that the legal system created after the Holocaust would work, but it failed Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Fyfe explained that her research examines the tendency to rely on legal definitions and judicial determinations as mechanisms for preventing genocide, despite historical evidence that governments frequently fail to act even when warning signs or legal findings exist. Rather than diminishing the gravity of genocide, her work questions whether the international community places too much faith in legal institutions that lack effective enforcement mechanisms.

Professor Fyfe’s primary areas of research are in legal philosophy and feminist ethics, especially related to international conflict, criminal law, and accountability. She holds both a Ph.D. in philosophy and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

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