The Auxiliary Chamber

🎙️Prosecuting Environmental Harm at the International Criminal Court🎙️

The Auxiliary Chamber is thrilled to present this new brilliant episode with Omar Kausar on:  ‘Promoting Ecojustice at the International Criminal Court - It doesn’t take armed conflict to harm the environment’. 

In this episode, Omar Kausar shares with us his Public International Law thesis from Leiden University, diving into prosecuting environmental harm under the Rome Statute, the importance of non-international armed conflict, and the possibilities of Ecocide. 

 

Omar Kausar holds an LLM in Public International Law from Leiden University. His research focuses on International Criminal Law, Humanitarian Law, and Human Rights Law. His LLM thesis was nominated for the Jan Brouwer thesis prize in the Netherlands.

The Auxiliary Chamber is thrilled to present this new episode: ‘An International Law Perspective on Harry Potter, No one is above the law, not even wizards!’ 

In this episode, the brilliant Dr. Frauke Heidemann shares with us her new 2024 book ‘Applying International Law to the World of Harry Potter’ as published by Springer Law. As we apply international law to the world of Harry Potter, we dive into the Wizarding States, different conflicts, and participants, and look at questions such as are the members of Dumbledore's army are child soldiers, and can the ICC hold Lord Voldemort accountable? 

Dr. Frauke Heidemann holds a PhD in international law and publishes law books and novels. Her research focuses on the intersection of technological trends, privatization of warfare, and international law. I highly recommend everyone to read her amazing book, as found here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-57571-6

The Auxiliary Chamber is honored to present the second episode of its new mini-series, ‘The Application of Digitally Derived Evidence in Law’! Today we are diving into: ‘Unlocking Digital Evidence in Domestic Law - Taking the Leiden Guidelines Forward’ with the brilliant Dr. Emma Irving and Sabrina Rewald.

In today’s episode, we dive into defining Digitally Derived Evidence in Domestic Law, the Fénix Foundation, Artificial intelligence in Law, the creation of a new NGO, and some of the initial barriers to the new project.

Sabrina Rewald, JD LLM, and Dr. Emma Irving are both international legal consultants and Co-founders of the FĂŠnix Foundation, which is a Netherlands-based non-profit with a mission to leverage advancements in Artificial Intelligence to support accountability for atrocity crimes. By embracing the potential of AI to accelerate legal research, assist legal analysis, and disseminate legal information, we aim to show that AI can play a positive role in the global fight against impunity (https://www.fenix.foundation/).

I would highly encourage everyone to also listen to the first part of this mini-series where we discussed: Unlocking Digital Evidence in International Law through the Leiden Guidelines. The Leiden Guidelines on DDE were developed at the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law of Leiden University by Dr. Emma Irving and Dr. Robert Heinsch. The Guidelines can be found here: (https://leiden-guidelines.netlify.app/)

The Auxiliary Chamber is honored to present the first episode in its new mini-series on: ‘The Application of Digitally Derived Evidence in Law’! Today we are diving into: ‘Unlocking Digital Evidence in International Law through the Leiden Guidelines’ with the brilliant Dr. Emma Irving and Sabrina Rewald.

In today’s episode, we dive into defining what is Digitally Derived Evidence (DDE), why it is important, the origins of the DDE project, the Leiden Guidelines, and applying the Guidelines internationally. The Leiden Guidelines on DDE were developed at the Kalshoven-Gieskes Forum on International Humanitarian Law of Leiden University by Dr. Emma Irving and Dr. Robert Heinsch. The Guidelines can be found here: (https://leiden-guidelines.netlify.app/)

Sabrina Rewald, JD LLM, and Dr. Emma Irving are both international legal consultants and Co-founders of the FĂŠnix Foundation, which is a Netherlands-based non-profit with a mission to leverage advancements in Artificial Intelligence to support accountability for atrocity crimes. By embracing the potential of AI to accelerate legal research, assist legal analysis, and disseminate legal information, we aim to show that AI can play a positive role in the global fight against impunity (https://www.fenix.foundation/).

In the next episode of the Podcast, we will continue this mini-series by presenting: Unlocking Digital Evidence in Domestic Law - Taking the Leiden Guidelines Forward.

The podcast is honored to present episode 31 with the Brilliant Ada! Together in this episode, we discuss her LLM thesis from Leiden University, where she will present for us: ‘A Critique of the Current Discourse on the Right of Peoples to (External) Self-Determination under International Law.’

Not to give too much away, but we will be diving into the idea concepts of Self-Determination and Peoples under International law, the academic discourse, and International law’s ‘tendency to crisis and violence’!

The Auxiliary Chamber is honored to present the second part of the mini-series with Dr. Jason Rudall on his new book: ‘Responsibility for Environmental Damage’, published by Edward Elgar Publishing this April, in its Principles of International Environmental Law series. Part 2 of the series and Episode 30 of the Podcast dives into Dr. Rudall’s new book and explores the concepts of responsibility for Environmental Damage, climate change, litigation, and advisory opinions! 

The book ‘offers a comprehensive analysis of responsibility for environmental damage under international law’ and can be found here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/responsibility-for-environmental-damage-9781803920702.html

Dr. Jason Rudall is currently an Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University! He has published two other books: Altruism in International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Compensation for Environmental Damage under International Law (Routledge, 2020).Â

The Auxiliary Chamber is honored to present the first part of the mini-series with Dr. Jason Rudall on his new book: ‘Responsibility for Environmental Damage’, published by Edward Elgar Publishing this April, in its Principles of International Environmental Law series.

Part 1 of the series and Episode 29 of the Podcast dives into Dr. Rudall’s new book and explores the art and experiences of writing and publishing a new book! The new book ‘offers a comprehensive analysis of responsibility for environmental damage under international law’ and can be found here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/responsibility-for-environmental-damage-9781803920702.html

Dr. Jason Rudall is currently an Assistant Professor of Public International Law at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University! He has published two other books: Altruism in International Law (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Compensation for Environmental Damage under International Law (Routledge, 2020).Â

This week Part 2 of the Mini Series on the ‘International Law in Europe’s forgotten conflict, the Armenia and Azerbaijan situation’ will be released!

It’s an honor to discuss with Dr. Gurgen Petrossian, LL.M. Senior Officer for International Criminal Law at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, as we explore together: The European Court of Human Rights Cases and the International Criminal Court in the Armenia and Azerbaijan crisis, and delve further into the prioritization and financing of International Law.

The Auxiliary Chamber is thrilled to share the first episode of a new mini-series with Dr. Gurgen Petrossian, Senior Officer for International Criminal Law at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy.

The series is on ‘International Law in Europe’s forgotten conflict, the Armenia and Azerbaijan situation’, and Episode 27 dives into 'The Historical Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Parallel International Court of Justice Cases Between Armenia and Azerbaijan’. Together we will discuss first the Historical background and context of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and conflict, before discussing the Parallel International Court of Justice cases between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Auxiliary Chamber is thrilled and honored to announce Episode 26, “Rising PhD Researchers: Diving into the How, What, and Why of Applying and Starting a Legal PhD”!

In this episode, the Auxiliary Chamber and Bram Burger are joined by the brilliant Julia Galera Oliva and Anh Nguyen, who after graduating from Leiden University's Public International Law LLM this summer, have started their PhD journeys at the European University Institute respectively, and the University of Amsterdam. 

Together, we will delve into their origin story of getting into academia, and present a short overview of each research project. Then, we dive deeper into the PhD experience, looking at; the proposal and application process, the role of a PhD researcher, and what the end goal is of a PhD. Finally, they both highlight the positives of public international law and the legal academic community, as well as rounding off our discussion by highlighting certain issues within international law and some book recommendations!

Bio of the guests:

Julia is a Ph.D. researcher at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, whose primary focus is on Spanish imperialism in Latin America and its interplay with private entities, inquiring into the relationships between the state, private organizations, and individuals from a historical perspective. 

Anh is a Ph.D. researcher in the Law and Governance of Quantum Technologies research group within the Institute for Information Law at the University of Amsterdam. Her work delves into how legal dynamics arising from the tension between innovation, geopolitical/geoeconomic competition, and responsible technological development shape, govern and construct emerging quantum technology (global) value chains.

Book Recommendations:

* The Underground Empire: Where Crime and Governments Embrace (by James Mills)

* To the Uttermost Parts of the Earth: Legal Imagination and International Power 1300–1870 (by Martti Koskenniemi)

* Imperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law (by Antony Anghie)

* The Alchemy of Race and Rights: Diary of a Law Professor (by Patricia J. Williams).

* Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History Paperback (by James A. Morone).