On February 12, 2002, Slobodan Milosevic, the former president of Yugoslavia, became the first head of state ever to face trial before an international criminal tribunal. He stands accused of organizing and commanding war crimes during conflicts arising from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s in a complex and emotionally charged trial that is expected to last through 2004.

Michael P. Scharf, professor of law and director of the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center's War Crimes Research Office at the CWRU School of Law, and William A. Schabas, director of the Irish Center for Human Rights and professor of human rights law at the National University of Ireland, have written Slobodan Milosevic on Trial: A Companion (Continuum International Publishing Group: 2002), a book aimed at helping the lay person understand the issues, history and personalities behind this celebrated trial. Scharf is available to provide expert commentary on the Milosevic trial and related issues.

"This is an enormously complicated proceeding that requires a great deal of background to understand," Scharf said. "We hope this book will serve a purpose similar to program notes at a sporting event, informing the reader what to look for, who the major players are, what the rules are and who is likely to win."

The book starts with an overview of Milosevic's early life and rise to power after the death of Tito, as well as a brief history of the region and the conflicts that followed Yugoslavia's breakup. It looks at the history of international prosecution from the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials to the United Nations and the decision to form the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), explains the nature of the charges Milosevic faces and examines the backgrounds of the judges and prosecutors in the trial.

The book also examines whether Milosevic can receive a fair trial and the merits of the case. It concludes with a summary of possible implications of the trial for the various organizations involved and for future war crimes trials.

On the latter Scharf and Schabas write, "There can be little doubt that, with the increasing acceptance of international prosecution for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, we have entered a new age in the promotion of international peace and security."

Scharf joined the CWRU law school faculty this year following nine years as professor of law and director of the Center for International Law and Policy at the New England School of Law in Boston. From 1989-93 he worked in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the positions of Attorney-Adviser for United Nations Affairs and for Law Enforcement and Intelligence. He received the Meritorious Honor Award, recognizing his exemplary leadership in support of U.S. policy initiatives regarding the former Yugoslavia.

He also served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the 46th and 47th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and to the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, where he received the Meritorious Honor Award, recognizing his exemplary leadership in support of U.S. policy initiatives regarding the former Yugoslavia.

Slobodan Milosevic On Trial is the seventh book dealing with war crimes and international justice that Scharf has authored or co-authored. Among his earlier works are: Balkan Justice: The Story Behind the First International War Crimes Trial Since Nuremberg, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in Letters; An Insider's Guide to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; and The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, for which he won the 1999 American Society of International Law Certificate of Merit for the Outstanding Book in International Law.

Scharf has testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad. He has been interviewed on CNN, CBS, "Nightline" with Ted Koppel, Court TV and National Public Radio. He is the executive director of the Public International Law and Policy Group, a non-profit corporation and United Nations-designated Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that provides pro-bono international legal services to foreign governments and international organizations.

A Cleveland-area native, Scharf received his J.D. with high honors and Order of the Coif and a B.A. magna cum laude, both from Duke University. He has held numerous visiting professorships and fellowships, including at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the Faculty of Law at the Australian National University, the UniversitZ de Paris X Nanterre and Georgetown University Law Center.