In this episode of Echoes Across Time, Tim Levy sits with Rupert Elderkin, a former senior trial attorney with the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. For nearly two decades, Rupert worked on the prosecution of some of the gravest crimes of the modern era — from war crimes cases at The Hague to the long aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.

But this conversation moves far beyond the courtroom.

Rupert reflects on the deeper human questions that emerge when you spend years confronting the worst humanity can do to itself. Raised in Cambridge by parents shaped by the Second World War, Rupert grew up surrounded by quiet stories of resilience, sacrifice, and moral responsibility — influences that would later shape his own path.

Tim and Rupert explore what it means to pursue justice across decades, what sustains people who do this work, and how survivors of unimaginable violence often reveal the greatest strength of human character.

Along the way, Rupert shares reflections on courage, humility, moral responsibility, and the tension between humanity’s darkest acts and its quiet capacity for compassion.

This conversation asks a profound question:
When we look honestly at both the worst and the best of humanity — what does it teach us about who we are?

If this conversation stayed with you, follow Echoes Across Time wherever you listen to podcasts and join us as we continue exploring what truly lasts.

Connect with Rupert Elderkin:

Social media:

www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-elderkin