International and Comparative Law

On February 11, 2021, Corin Stone, Scholar-in-Residence at AUWCL’s Tech, Law and Security Program, moderated a penal discussion on the intersection of free speech and the need to fight against terrorism. The panelists included Nick Rasmussen, Executive Director, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) and former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center; and David Kaye, Clinical Professor of Law at UC Irvine Law and former UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Congratulations to Professor Rebecca Hamilton, who was elected as a Life Member to the Council on Foreign Relations. She joins prominent leaders in foreign policy, government officials, renowned scholars and more in this prestigious membership. We interviewed Professor Hamilton on her service to the field of international relations and recent developments in international law.

Professor Daudet delivered the Grotius Lecture under the theme of the words famously attributed by some to Sir Winston Churchill: “Never let a good crisis go to waste!” and asked himself: “Can international law seize the advantage?” He noted that crises today are inherently international and therefore inevitably affect the application of international law.

 This course explores major global health challenges and the concepts of health laws and human rights as applicable to global health. Students are introduced to current and emerging global health priorities and analyze possible solutions through the reform of health-related laws as a component of health systems.  The course also explores the links between human rights and public health policy. Classroom presentations examine how international law (including international human rights norms and standards) can be an important tool for formulating and reviewing health-related laws and addressing: current global health challenges and emergencies, improving mental health systems and their response, creating smoke free environments, reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, reducing maternal mortality and protecting older persons and other groups in situations of vulnerability during health emergencies and pandemics.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the AUWCL Trade, Investment and Development Program and the Shridath Ramphal Centre discussed the challenges and opportunities ahead for the newest World Trade Organization Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and first African tapped to lead the WTO. The panel discussion was moderated by R Renata Amaral, Adjunct Professor at AUWCL and Jan Yves Remy, Deputy Director, Shridath Ramphal Centre. The speakers were Padideh Ala’i, Professor at WCL and Director of International and Comparative Legal studies program and ILSP; Anabel González, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics; Jennifer Hillman, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Lisa Schroeter, Global Director, Trade and Investment Policy at Dow and current President of WIIT Trust.

On Wednesday March 17, 2021, a virtual conference took place on “Reparation for Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Grave Breaches of International Humanitarian Law,” co-hosted by the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law at AUWCL. Among the various challenges for the current reparations regime of international human rights violations, the speakers identified three key challenges: (1) the legal framework within which the reparations are established; (2) the nature and scope of measures that could be required from states to fully repair violations; and (3) the effectiveness of international orders providing reparations.