Melanie Klinkner

Dr Melanie Klinkner, Department of Law, Bournemouth University, UK, is a transitional justice scholar majoring on international criminal justice. She has a background in Philosophy, Anthropology and Biology. Melanie’s current research focuses on three core areas (1) the right to the truth of victims of gross human rights violations in international law; (2) advancing our knowledge on conflict transformation through an interdisciplinary approach combining social anthropology with rights-based perspectives, and (3) safeguarding evidence from mass graves for humanitarian and international criminal purposes. In addition, she is involved in projects concerning the human rights of migrants and refugees in news reporting and research on the current ‘post-truth’ phenomenon.

In her previous research projects, she analysed the use of forensic evidence from mass graves during international criminal proceedings and, together with her colleague Dr Howard Davis, conducted a Nuffield Foundation funded project into the right to truth at the International Criminal Court.

Melanie is part of the Bournemouth University's Conflict Transformation Studies group, teaches International Law at undergraduate and Master’s level and supervises several doctoral students. Before embarking on her academic career, Melanie studied at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in Freiburg (Germany) and in Rome (Italy) at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana and Roma Tre.