On May 30 and 31, Queen’s Law students and alumni have the opportunity to learn about international law trends from leading experts at the university’s fabled English castle. The conference, “International Law at a Crossroads,” will take place at Queens’ Herstmonceux Castle in the U.K. to celebrate both the 25th anniversary of the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) and Bill Flanagan’s 14-year tenure as Dean of Queen’s Law.
The organizers – led by Professor Nicolas Lamp, Academic Director of the International Law Programs, and supported by Professor Ardi Imseis – designed the conference to respond to recent global challenges to international law.
“Since 1945, multilateral institutions and treaties – epitomized by the United Nations and the UN Charter – have been the principal framework of the international legal order,” explains Imseis. “But over the past few years, this has been distinctly confronted by a rise in populism and nationalism across the globe. The international legal order is at a crossroads of sorts, and with this conference, we aim to examine whether and to what extent this appears in various areas of international law.”
For Lamp, the event will evaluate how international institutions can continue to be relevant in an increasingly uncertain world. “From an international law perspective, this is the most consequential moment since the end of the Cold War,” he says. “The international community has stood idly by as Russia annexed Crimea, Syria broke out into war, and Yemen fell into a humanitarian catastrophe. It’s fair to question whether international law has had any lasting success over the past 30 years.”
Among the topics to be discussed at the event are recent developments in public international law, trade and investment law, international human rights, humanitarian law and international business law.
The conference will boast speakers and panelists who are judges and experienced practitioners, the majority of whom are alumni and/or instructors of the Faculty’s International Law Programs.
Keynote speakers are Judge Kim Prost of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Stephen de Boer, Ambassador for the Canadian Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Panels will cover subjects ranging from commercial arbitration to criminal law. Scheduled panelists include:
- Norman Farrell, Law’86, Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon;
- Valerie Hughes, Adjunct Professor at Queen’s Law, former Director of the WTO’s Appellate Body Secretariat, and former Director of the WTO’s Legal Affairs Division;
- Jeannette Tramhel, Law’87, Senior Legal Officer, Department of International Law, Secretariat of Legal Affairs, Organization of American States;
- Edward Kwakwa, LLM’86, Senior Director, Department for Traditional Knowledge and Global Challenges, World Intellectual Property Organization;
- Katie Gustafson, Senior Enforcement Litigator, Ontario Securities Commission; formerly Senior Appeals Counsel, Office of the Prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT); and
- Jack Maslen, Senior Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais, Calgary.
“We targeted a particular group of people as speakers, because we want this event to unite Queen’s Law and our Castle programs,” says Lamp. “We sought out alumni, instructors and those with a long history of engagement with our Castle programs. We want this to be a hybrid conference: not only showcasing the program’s success in allowing Queen’s Law students to pursue their interest in international law, but one that also builds a network for the international law community. We seek to reunite alumni, allow them to catch up with each other and meet current students, and also engage them in future deliberations to build up that community.”
Imseis says, “We will tackle our discussion topics from both practical and theoretical perspectives, so we’ll be sure to offer something for everyone interested in public international law writ large.”
“Given the exceptional calibre of our speakers, it will be of significant interest to anyone who follows developments in international law or trade,” adds Lamp.
The conference will conclude with a tribute to Dean Bill Flanagan, founder of the Queen’s International Law Programs at the Castle in 2001. Since that time, over 800 students completed one of the programs – with many later pursuing careers in international law.
“We seek not only to mark his stellar leadership of Queen’s Law over the past 14 years,” says Imseis, “but also thank him for his stewardship and vision in building the Castle program during that time.”
“Our main goal in celebrating Bill Flanagan’s deanship, which comes to a close at the end of June, is to bring our international law community together,” says Lamp. “He founded this program, so we cannot imagine a more fitting celebration of his tenure. He built this incredible network of speakers, friends and alumni coming together at this conference. This is his baby, and without his initiative, this wouldn’t exist today.”
Learn more about the event and register on the Queen’s Law website.
By Justin Murphy