The Legal Research Society

On Wednesday 10th of December from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm in TAYLOR C11 (opposite to Taylor library entry) The LRS will screen a movie titled “Workingman's Death”. After the film we will have the opportunity to talk about the film and the issues it raises. Is heavy manual labour disappearing or is it just becoming invisible? Where can we still find it in the 21st century? Workingman's Death follows the trail of the HEROES in the illegal mines of the Ukraine , sniffs out GHOST among the sulphur workers in Indonesia , finds itself face to face with LIONS at a slaughterhouse in Nigeria , mingles with BROTHERS as they cut a huge oil tanker into pieces in Pakistan , and joins Chinese steel workers in hoping for a glorious FUTURE. Even though it's the twenty-first century, the director wants us to know that a lot of workers across the world have not benefited from the advancement in technology . You are very welcome to come along and enjoy the movie and the refreshments.

On Wednesday 3 rd of December from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm in TAYLOR C11 (opposite to Taylor library entry) The LRS will screen a movie titled “Lion of the Desert” Lion of the Desert is a 1981 historical film starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar who led the Libyan resistance against the Italian oppressors from 1911-1931. In 1982 the Italian authorities banned and censored the movie because, it was "damaging to the Italian Army's honour". The Movie will be preceded by a Historical and legal overview (the concept of ‘ jihad ’, International Law of War ) delivered by Khaled Bashir and Ahmed Hassanein , also there will be a discussion after the movie. You are very welcome to come along and enjoy the movie and the refreshments.

On Thursday 13th November from 6pm until 8pm in TAYLOR C11 (opposite the Taylor library entry) The LRS will screen a movie titled “ The Constant Gardener ”. Gripping and intelligent entertainment, this is a dramatic thriller of sex, lies and dirty politics in modern Africa . Based on a book by espionage novelist John le Carré and directed by Fernando Mereilles (City of God ) the film blends high tension with social conscience, giving a human face to the West's exploitation of the Third World . For more information about the movie click here . The screening will be followed by a brief discussion which will be moderated by Paula Herm and Ahmed Hassanein . You are very welcome to come along and enjoy the movie and the refreshments ( free of charge) !

On Thursday 6th November at 6pm TAYLOR C11 (opposite the Taylor library entry) The LRS will screen a movie titled “Why we fight” The film was directed by Eugene Jarecki and has won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It is an unflinching look at the anatomy of the American war machine , weaving unforgettable personal stories with commentary by a “who’s who” of military and beltway insiders. The film moves beyond the headlines of various American military operations to the deeper questions of why – why does American fight? What are the forces – political, economic, and ideological – that drive “us” to fight against an ever-changing enemy? The movie will be followed by a brief discussion which will be moderated by Paula and Khaled. You are very welcome to come along and enjoy the movie and the refreshments ( free of charge )!

On Tuesday 02 September the Legal Research Society will host what is sure to be a fascinating paper by another of our co-founders, Jernej Letnar Cernic: Tuesday 02 September, 3pm, Taylor C16 Jernej Letnar Cernic, 'The Prosecution of Crimes Against Humanity committed in Slovenia after the Second World War - The Prosecutor v. Mitja Ribičič case before the Slovenian Courts' Abstract : This presentation examines the recent decision by the Slovenian Courts in the case of Prosecutor v. Mitja Ribičič concerning alleged commission of crimes against humanity in the Slovenian territory in the months following the end of the Second World War. As many as one hundred thirty thousands person are estimated to have been extra-judicially killed in the months following the end of the Second World War by Secret Police controlled by Yugoslav Communist Party. Mass grave sites numbering between four and five hundred have been so far found on the Slovenian territory. In August 2006, the Sloven...

In light of the tragic events taking place in Burma, or Myanmar as the ruling military junta renamed it in 1989, a few interesting questions of international law spring to mind. Notwithstanding the fact that urgent need for relief and assistance to the Burmese people takes precedence over legal debates, the very refusal to accept foreign aid workers on its soil by the Burmese junta raises legal questions ( the Times has a story on the situation ). For instance, is it possible that this denial of foreign assistance could constitute crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Article 7 of the Rome Statute defines crimes against humanity as acts “committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack”. For the purpose of this discussion the “acts” referred to in subsection 1 of Article 7 would be “[ O]ther inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causi...

A forthcoming article by Ole W. Pedersen , our blog administrator, is now available on SSRN (Ole W. Pedersen, 'European Environmental Human Rights and Environmental Rights: A Long Time Coming?' (2008) Georgetown International Environmental Law Review , Forthcoming). In his paper Ole argues that the development of procedural and substantive environmental rights in Europe may signal the elevation of these rights at an international human rights law level. Abstract: This paper deals with the area of rights and environmental law focusing on procedural environmental rights and substantive human rights to the environment in a European context. The paper asserts that while international developments in this area have generally ceased, two strong trends are emerging in Europe. First, a strong focus on procedural environmental rights (a right to access to environmental information, a right to public participation and a right to access to justice) is in place in Europe. This part of the...

Over on the Volokh Conspiracy George Mason Law Professor Ilya Somin has a very interesting post on the democratic deficit in international human rights law. Somin argues, in a paper co-authored with John McGinnis of Northwestern, available on SSRN , that most international human rights law is created in an undemocratic environment as a result of undemocratic procedures and undue influence of authoritarian states. As an example Somin and McGinnis refer to international law-making relating to the "crime" of hate speech. From reading the abstract, while awaiting the full paper, it is clear that the authors have some valid points. In particular the example of the hate speech as well as the works of the UN human Rights Council, where the influence of authoritarian states is evident in the Council's attempts to undermine norms of freedom of speech, underline the authors' arguments. At the same time, notwithstanding the relative vagueness of terms like ...

On Tuesday 18 th March at 8pm (room C11 ) we will screen a movie that should be of interest to all of you who care for international economic law and financial institutions, human rights, globalisation and inequalities between the developed and the developing world, particularly Africa . BAMAKO directed by Abderrahmane Sissako Cast: Danny Glover, Helene Diarra, William Bourdon 115 minutes, France/Mali (2006) I n the courtyard of a house in Mali ’s capital Bamako a trial court has been set up. African civil society spokesmen have taken proceedings against the World Bank and the IMF whom they blame for Africa 's woes... Amidst the pleas and the testimonies, life goes on in the courtyard. Prizes won include: - BEST PRIZE of the 1st Human Rights Film Festival of Lomé ( Togo ) 2007 - Council of Europe Film Award (FACE) Istanbul International Film Festival - JURY'S PRIZE at Carthage Film Festival “…needs to be seen, argued ...

It is becoming increasingly likely that the major candidates in the United States general election will be Senator Obama (D) and Senator McCain (R). The two Senators appear to view the status of nations in fundamentally different ways. Senator McCain supports the establishment of a League of Democracies ( Derek analyses the proposal here ). McCain's proposal envisions a League of Democracies that will not replace the United Nations, but that could act without its approval. While the idealism of the suggestion cannot be questioned, a League of Democracies hints at the creation of first-class and second-class States, with the former class assuming authority that international law does not afford it to date. This is in contrast with Senator Obama’s much-debated suggestion that he would meet with foreign leaders whether they are friends or foes of the United States, and whether they are friends or foes of ‘freedom’. I may be reading too much into this, but the way I see it the...

The governments of Cyprus and Romania have stated that they will not recognise the expected unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence (see report here ). Romania has gone so far as to state that it “will not be able to recognise an independence proclamation by Kosovo on any level (...) whether coordinated or unilaterally proclaimed". The Romanian president is reported to have expressed that this would send the wrong message to countries that face ethnic conflicts. Admittedly, the Romanian president raises an important point about the dismemberment of ethnically diverse States. There certainly is a principled argument for States to respect Serbia’s territorial integrity and cultural connection to Kosovo. Yet this conundrum must be resolved with reference to the sovereign will of the people of Kosovo, particularly when one considers the long list of aggravations that Kosovo has suffered at the hands of rule from Belgrade. In the light of recent history, is it not mo...

Collective memory is a curious thing. Just weeks after rampant abuses of human rights were screened worldwide from Burma, it seems that the plight of the Burmese people has slipped out of the world's collective conscience. Le Monde reports today on the visit of the UN emissary on human rights to Burma. Perhaps it would be over optimistic to hope that this visit will have any immediate impact or ascertain the facts of the extent of abuse with any degree of certainty. However, it is commendable that the UN is using its good offices to ensure that the world does not forget the human toll of contemporary breaches of international law.

On Thursday 01 November at 5pm, the Society will hold its first roundtable discussion of this academic year in Taylor C28. The chosen topic is Iran and the Right to Nuclear Energy . The discussion will be moderated by Paula Herm and Ahmed Hassanein. Details of the society's programme for the coming weeks and months will follow soon.

US diplomats in Iraq are currently unable to leave the Green Zone in Baghdad. On Wednesday Prime Minister al-Maliki complained about killings of Iraqi's in "cold blood". What has prompted these reactions? The shooting of at least eight Iraqi civilians (Iraqi officials estimate the number is closer to 20). Blackwater says it was acting defensively in protecting a diplomatic convoy. They were responding to a car bomb which was nearby a diplomatic convoy, and the contractors opened fire on a car which mistakenly entered a traffic circle. Iraqi officials acknowledge there was a bomb, but argue the contractors shot wildly. This is only the latest in a long line of shootings. Blackwater has been hired to provide security for diplomats, and there are a number of troubling accounts of overzealous contractors. NPR has a good story, and Terry Gross has an outstanding interview with Jeremy Scahill back in March. As an aside, the company's activities are not just limite...

At least 200,000 people have died in the Darfur region of Western Sudan, and perhaps another 2.5 million have been displaced. The West has been roundly criticized for failure to act. The question becomes though, how best to intervene in what is essentially a civil war, in which the Chinese and Russians are arming the Sudanese government? There is an interesting debate going on over at Opinio Juris on whether international law promotes or impedes the process to end the bloodshed in Darfur. Julian Ku thinks international law makes a solution to the crisis harder, not easier. As he says: notice how international law acts in ways that make a solution to this crisis harder, not easier, to achieve. An effective outside intervention by Western military powers (e.g. the U.S., U.K., France) is probably illegal (say most international lawyers) unless China and Russia consent via the Security Council or Sudan consents (don't hold your breath). So we instead get a hodgepodge of limited pea...

Corporations are today major influences on our lives. From the 100 largest economies in the world, 51 are corporations while only 49 are states. While it is could be said that economic development coupled with the rule of law and democracy could be the one best for the entire spectrum of human rights, corporations, especially some transnational corporations, often avoid any from of legal responsibility when they commit human rights violations. Then there is inequality in international legal system. International Law on Foreign Investment guarantees protection to corporations from loosing their investments when investing in developing countries with at times fragile economic and legal systems of the. This is coupled with wide several bilateral or multilateral investment treaties which require States to equally treat foreign investors. In turn, corporations are not asked in any international legal instrument to comply at minimum with fundamental human rights norms. This inequality derive...