Introduction (Michelle) Like many teachers of international law today, I was initially a little anxious about how to confront the challenge of AI in the classroom. Almost immediately, it was clear to me that striking an ostrich stance would not work. Joseph Weiler echoes these sentiments when he suggests that it ‘we would be remiss … Read more
On the 4th of February 2025, the President of El Salvador offered the United States of America ‘the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system’, transferring convicted U.S. criminals into the Salvadoran mega-prison (CECOT) ‘in exchange for a fee.’ Amidst an increasingly fragile rule of law, mounting carceral expansion and documented human rights abuses … Read more
Since its 3 February 2025 Executive Order, the United States has engaged in a series of decisions to either pause or entirely remove funding for various international organizations and agencies within the United Nations system, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization, withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council, the 90-day pause in contributions … Read more
Civilian harm in armed conflict has reached staggering levels. The United Nations recently recorded a 72% increase in civilian casualties worldwide, a stark reminder of the devastating human toll of modern warfare. Yet, mechanisms to provide justice and redress for those harmed remain inadequate. Recent developments, including the International Law Commission’s (ILC) renewed focus on … Read more
The Council of Europe (CoE) is preparing to amend its legal definition of terrorism, to largely replicate key elements of the European Union’s (EU) definition in its Counter-terrorism Directive 2017 (and previous Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism 2002). The proposed definition aims to make the CoE definition more comprehensive than the CoE’s existing Convention on … Read more
