British Institute of International and Comparative Law

02/10/2026

Read the latest insight on the BIICL Blog from Noa Lou Brawermann: “The Cost of Regulatory Failure: How International Frameworks Enable Bangladesh’s Hazardous Shipbreaking Industry”.

The post explores a central question: why does international law, despite conventions designed to regulate hazardous waste and ship recycling, still allow end-of-life ships to be dismantled in unsafe conditions? Using Bangladesh as a case study, Noa examines how gaps in the current international regulatory framework allow private actors to circumvent regulations and rely on shipbreaking facilities in the Global South, at significant human and environmental cost.

👉 Find out more: https://www.biicl.org/blog/136/the-cost-of-regulatory-failure-how-international-frameworks-enable-bangladeshs-hazardous-shipbreaking-industry

24/09/2026

🌍 Expanding the BIICL Corporate Climate Litigation Platform: New Jurisdictions, New Tools and Emerging Global Trends

The BIICL Corporate Climate Litigation (CCL) Platform brings together comparative legal research, national reports and practical resources on climate litigation involving corporate actors. At its heart is the Global Toolbox on Corporate Climate Litigation, supported by an international network of National Rapporteurs and experts.

Join us online on 8 October 2026, 9:30–11:00 (UK time) to explore the next phase of the Platform and hear from National Rapporteurs from six jurisdictions as they discuss recent developments and emerging cross-jurisdictional trends in corporate climate litigation.

Chair and Introduction:
🔹 Dr Ivano Alogna, Senior Research Fellow in Environmental and Climate Change Law, BIICL, Director, Global Toolbox on Corporate Climate Litigation

Speakers:
🔹 Carolina Garrido, Environment and Justice in the Anthropocene, PUC-Rio, National Rapporteur for Brazil
🔹 Dr. Andreas Hösli, Kellerhals Carrard, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, National Rapporteur for Switzerland
🔹 Prof. Emmanuel Kasimbazi, Makerere University, National Rapporteur for Uganda
🔹 Terysha Naicker, Environmental Law Association of South Africa, National Rapporteur for South Africa
🔹 Prof. andri wibisana, University of Indonesia, National Rapporteur for Indonesia
🔹 Prof. Hendrik Schoukens, Ghent University, National Rapporteur for Belgium

Register now 👉 https://biicl.beaconforms.com/form/55231b6b

Explore climate litigation cases and legal frameworks across different jurisdictions worldwide.

18/09/2026

As part of our ongoing research on immunities and international crimes, BIICL hosted an event in The Hague exploring the contemporary relevance of the pioneering work undertaken by the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC) in the 1940s.

The discussion examined the Commission’s legacy and its continuing relevance to contemporary debates on immunities and international crimes.

The event featured contributions from Judge Joanna Korner CMG KC, Prof. Dan Plesch and Anthony Wenton and was chaired by Persijn (Percy) De Vries.

Thank you to SOAS University of London for kindly sponsoring the event.

You can watch the recording here 👇👇

As part of our ongoing research on immunities and international cri...

17/09/2026

🌍 Last Chance to Register: Public International Law in Practice Short Course

Gain practical insights into the key principles and latest developments shaping public international law. Led by many of the Institute's leading researchers and practitioners, the course gathers primarily senior practitioners, academics and government officials to improve their knowledge of key areas international law from the sources of international law to the law of armed conflict, from human rights to international investment law.

Don’t miss your chance to join us. Register today 👉 https://www.biicl.org/events/12103/short-course-public-international-law-in-practice

Course topics and tutors:
🔹 Legal Foundations of Public International Law - Dr Jack Kenny
🔹 International Human Rights Law - Kristin Hausler
🔹 International Law Concerning Armed Conflict - Dr Jack Kenny
🔹 International Criminal Law - Kiran Mohandas Menon
🔹 International Trade Law - Dr Julinda Beqiraj
🔹 International Investment Law - Professor Yarik Kryvoi
🔹 International Environmental and Climate Change Law - Dr Ivano Alogna
🔹 Law of the Sea - Dr Constantinos Yiallourides
🔹 Business and Human Rights - Dr Irene Pietropaoli
🔹 International Migration and Refugee Law - Dr Jean-Pierre Gauci

BIICL members receive a 20% discount on course fees. Join our global community and take advantage of exclusive member benefits: https://www.biicl.org/events/12103/short-course-public-international-law-in-practice

10 Sessions: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 October, 5, 12, 19, 26 November and 3 December 2026, Online

16/09/2026

Last chance to apply for our AI Law & the Creative Economy PgCert.

AI is transforming the creative economy, raising key regulatory questions: What responsibilities do AI companies have when training models on creative content and personal data? If an AI model causes harm, who is liable? Can competition law keep digital markets open, innovative and fair for creators, publishers and new entrants? How can regulators address these emerging challenges?

These are some of the questions explored in the AI Law and the Creative Economy postgraduate certificate, delivered by BIICL in partnership with University of Glasgow and CREATe (Centre for the Regulation of the Creative Economy).

Find out more and apply 👉 https://www.biicl.org/events/12097/ai-law-the-creative-economy-pgcert

14/09/2026

We are proud to be a media partner for the Chatham House Competition Policy Conference 2026, taking place on 17 November 2026 ⚖️

Competition policy is being reshaped by geopolitical rivalry, economic nationalism and strategic competition. From merger control and FDI screening to AI governance and Article 102 reform, the boundaries between market governance, industrial strategy and geopolitical competition are increasingly blurred.

Join regulators, policymakers, business leaders and legal practitioners at Chatham House to examine how competition frameworks are adapting to this new landscape.

📍 Chatham House, London

Register interest and find out more 👇
https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/conference/competition-policy-conference-2026?utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=media-partner-BIICL&utm_content=competition-policy-2026

08/09/2026

How can international organisations remain effective actors rather than arenas for interstate rivalry?

Sixty-five years ago, in his celebrated lecture The International Civil Servant in Law and in Fact, UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld argued that the integrity and independence of international officials were integral to institutionalised cooperation between States. He warned that compromising the international civil service threatened the future of international organizations and risked worldwide instability.

Today as international organizations confront geopolitical fragmentation, challenges to their legitimacy, institutional and financial retrenchment, the relevance of this argument is renewed. On 6 October, this event asks what secures the future of international organisations as effective and enabling international actors, rather than merely an arena for interstate rivalries? The hundred-year-old encounter between the treaty-based attributes of international officials and the administrative authority of international organisations - referred to as 'international administrative law' - offers one answer: a tested but neglected legal framework empowering international organisations to act independently, legitimately and impactfully.

Chair
🔹Sir Tim Eicke KC, Barrister, Essex Court Chambers and former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights

Speakers:
🔹Peter Quayle, Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance and Dispute Resolution, King's College London
🔹Alice Lacourt, Legal Counsel, Commonwealth Secretariat
🔹Dorota Lost-Siemińska, Director, Legal Affairs and External Relations Division, International Maritime Organization

Free for BIICL members.
For non-members, the registration fee is £50, (in person or online attendance).

Register here 👇👇

6 October 2026, BIICL, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London and Online

07/09/2026

BIICL is delighted to welcome Judge Theodor Meron for the Institute's 2026 Weinrebe Event, taking place on 8 October at the BIICL office in London.

A distinguished jurist and scholar, Judge Meron will join Catherine Amirfar, Co-Chair of Debevoise & Plimpton’s International Law Group, for a wide-ranging conversation on his new book, A Thousand Miracles: From Surviving the Holocaust to Judging Genocide.

Drawing on a remarkable life journey, from surviving the Holocaust as a child to serving as a legal adviser, diplomat, academic and international judge, Judge Meron will reflect on the experiences and ideas that have shaped his engagement with law and justice.

The discussion will explore the development of international criminal justice, the work of international courts and tribunals, accountability for genocide and war crimes, and the resilience of international institutions in an increasingly complex world.

This promises to be a thought-provoking conversation offering unique insights into the evolution of the international legal order and the challenges it faces today.

This event is kindly sponsored by Debevoise & Plimpton with the support of the Dorset Foundation.

Register here: https://www.biicl.org/events/12133/harry-weinrebe-memorial-event-2026-judge-theodor-meron-in-conversation-with-catherine-amirfar

02/09/2026

📘 We are pleased to share that Professor Yarik Kryvoi's book, "Educating Lawyers in the Digital Age: From Theory to Practice", is now available in open access.

The book explores a practical question: How can legal education become more relevant to professional practice, more effective through digital technologies, and more accessible and affordable? Drawing on the changing landscape of legal education and technology, the book offers practical insights into how we can better prepare the next generation of lawyers for a rapidly evolving profession.

📖 Read or download the full book free of charge: https://www.biicl.org/publications/educating-lawyers-in-the-digital-age-from-theory-to-practice

06/08/2026

💡 Are the amendments to section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act (i.e. the supply chain transparency provisions) proposed in the Immigration and Asylum Bill sufficient to increase corporate transparency and accountability?

The amendments are likely to lead to more entities publishing their statements but not necessarily to better quality reporting and greater accountability.

The UK government should consider i) the unintended consequences of addressing supply chain transparency in immigration policy, ii) the inadequacy of some reporting amendments, and iii) the need for stronger accountability mechanisms beyond transparency reporting only.

✍ Read more in our latest blog by Dr Sofía González De Aguinaga, PhD: https://www.biicl.org/blog/134/strengthening-transparency-in-supply-chains-in-the-immigration-and-asylum-bill