The Minnesota Protocol: An International “Gold Standard” for Investigating Unlawful Deaths

Join the Human Rights Center and Advocates for Human Rights for a special conversation with Morris Tidball-Binz, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions. He joins us to speak about his mandate’s role in promoting and implementing the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. Mr. Tidball-Binz will be joined in conversation by Jennifer Prestholdt ‘96, Deputy Executive Director at the Advocates for Human Rights. The Advocates - then the Minnesota International Lawyers Human Rights Committee - convened a group of Minnesota lawyers to draft the Protocol in the early 1980s. The UN adopted the Protocol in 1991, and Jennifer served on the expert working group to update the Protocol in 2015. 

Mr. Tidball-Binz, a forensic doctor by profession, was appointed as Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions in April 2021. He is tasked with examining and reporting on violations of the right to life the world over, irrespective of whether a State has ratified relevant human rights treaties. In addition to communicating his concerns States and other relevant stakeholders, he conducts country visits, prepares thematic reports and offers technical assistance to help prevent unlawful deaths, including through the implementation of relevant standards, including the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death, a groundbreaking set of guidelines that now acts as an international standard for investigating unlawful killings. 

We hope you will join us to hear from this guest expert and to learn more about international human rights and legal standards, frameworks, and mechanisms for protecting the right to life. 

Dean William McGeveran will be delivering the opening remarks.

About the speakers:

Morris Tidball-Binz was appointed as Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions in April 2021. He is a medical doctor specialized in forensic science, human rights and humanitarian action. He contributed to the development and worldwide use of forensic science to investigate and document extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, enforced disappearances, torture and detention conditions, as well as to humanitarian action in armed conflicts and natural catastrophes. Over the past 40 years, he has conducted fact-finding, technical assessments and capacity building missions to over 90 counties in all regions.

He is currently an Adjunct Clinical Professor in Forensic Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Australia; a Visiting Senior Research Associate, Pozen Center for Human Rights, University of Chicago and a Visiting Professor of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Ethics and Medical Law, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal and of the Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, University of Milano, Italy. Read his full biography. 

Jennifer Prestholdt is the Deputy Executive Director at the Advocates for Human Rights, where she shares responsibility for leading The Advocates for Human Rights and overseeing all aspects of the organization's operations. In addition, Jennifer directs the International Justice Program, supervising the organization’s international advocacy at the United Nations and capacity-building training for human rights defenders, as well as the Nepal School Project. 

Jennifer served as Deputy Director of The Advocates from 2002 to 2024. In that role, she developed and led several transitional justice projects, including the Liberian Truth & Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project. She also represented The Advocates in the United Nations' revision of the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), serving on the Legal Investigations Working Group. Prior to becoming Deputy Director, Jennifer practiced asylum law for seven years and directed the organization’s Refugee and Immigrant Program, where she specialized in gender-based asylum claims.

In-person attendance notice:

This event is open to all to attend in-person! Please note that RSVPing to attend in-person is mandatory due to current protocol. You will be required to check-in to enter Mondale Hall. Check-in will be open from 11:30-12:15pm at the Mondale Hall main entrance (circle drive). If you have any questions please contact the event organizers.