Postdoc Expert Witness Testimony at The International Criminal Court

**Welcome to Maastricht University**

At Maastricht University (UM), we are committed to solving real-world problems through cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research. As a postdoctoral researcher in this unique project, you will contribute to a deeper understanding of how expert witness testimony is evaluated at the International Criminal Court (ICC). This position sits at the intersection of law, psychology, criminology, and artificial intelligence—offering you the opportunity to explore complex legal challenges with real societal impact.

**Your colleagues**

You will be based at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN), in collaboration with the Faculty of Law. You will join a vibrant and international research environment that values teamwork, scientific integrity, and innovation. The project is led by Dr. Anna Sagana, an expert in legal and forensic psychology, and is supported by an interdisciplinary network of scholars with strong links to international legal institutions. Together, we foster a collaborative culture where ideas flow freely and scientific rigour is key.

**About the project**

**Expertise on Trial** is an NWO-funded research project that aims to conduct the first comprehensive analysis of how expert witness testimony is evaluated at the ICC. While such testimony plays a critical role in international criminal cases—ranging from genocide to crimes against humanity—there is currently no standardized framework for its assessment. This project combines legal analysis, forensic psychology, and advanced machine learning to deliver evidence-based recommendations that can enhance fairness, transparency, and consistency in international criminal proceedings.

**Your work will focus on**

**What you will do**

As postdoctoral researcher, you will:

- Conduct advanced analyses on ICC court records to identify patterns in expert testimony.
- Use AI tools such as legal BERT to extract and categorize evaluation criteria.
- Develop evidence-based recommendations for standardized evaluation frameworks.
- Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present them at (inter)national conferences.
- Translate scientific results into accessible formats for policymakers and stakeholders.
- Contribute to project coordination and collaboration efforts.

**What you bring**

You also have:

- A PhD in legal/forensic psychology, criminology, law, or a related field.
- Experience with either qualitative or quantitative research methods (or willingness to learn).
- Affinity with large language models and AI tools in legal research.
- Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
- Strong organizational and communication skills.
- A collaborative, proactive mindset.

**You also have**
- Practical experience with court proceedings or expert testimony (preferred).
- Knowledge of French (preferred).
- A commitment to research transparency and open-access publishing.
- Interest in translating academic research for a wider audience.

**Additional Information**
This is a 1-year postdoctoral position (0.8 FTE), with no possibility of extension. A hybrid working arrangement is possible. The preferred starting date is **15 September 2025**.

**What we offer**
**As a Postdoc**at the**Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience**, you will be employed by the most international university in the Netherlands, located in the beautiful city of Maastricht. In addition, we offer you**:

- Good employment conditions. The position is graded in scale 10 according to UFO profile Researcher, with corresponding salary based on experience ranging from €3378,00 and €5331,00 gross per month (based on a full-time employment of 38 hours per week). In addition to the monthly salary, an 8.0% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus apply.
- An employment contract for a period of 12 months with a scope of 0,8 FTE.
- At Maastricht University, the well-being of our employees is of utmost importance, we offer flexible working hours and the possibility to work partly from home if the nature of your position allows it. You will receive a monthly commuting and internet allowance for this. If you work full-time, you will be entitled to 29 vacation days and 4 additional public holidays per year, namely carnival Monday, carnival Tuesday, Good Friday, and Liberation Day. If you choose to accumulate compensation hours, an additional 12 days will be added. Furthermore, you can personalize your employment conditions through a collective labor agreement (CAO) choice model.
- As Maastricht University, we offer various other excellent secondary employment conditions. These include a good pension scheme with the ABP and the opportunity for UM employees to participate in company fitness and make use of the extensive sports facilities that we also offer to our students.
- Last but certainly not least, we provide the space and facilities for your personal and professional development. We facilitate this by offering a wide range of training program