Latin America and the International Court of Justice

These days I am writing a chapter for a book that Jean-Marc Sorel (U Paris I) and Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida (Escola de Dereito, Rio de Janeiro) are putting together on contributions to international law of Latin American states through litigation before the ICJ. My chapter is on Mexico, and, specifically, on the infamous Avena case. I guess it takes an unorthodox American to write a balanced assessment of that case!

Right to Participate in the Conduct of Public Affairs (ICCPR Art. 25)

Today my Int Human Rights Clinic filed a new communication for the Human Rights Committee accusing Italy of violation of the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, specifically art. 25(a) and (b) of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

2011_Italian_referendumsWhile most of Art. 25 cases usually deal with the right of this or that person or party to run in elections (representative democracy), this is one of the few, to my knowledge, that focuses instead on direct democracy, that is to say the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs directly, through referenda and popular initiatives.

Teaching abroad in Denmark

On June 22-26, 2015 I taught again in Copenhagen, at iCourts, as part of iCourts
their Summer Program for Ph.D. students who are writing their dissertation on international courts and tribunals. This is my yearly treat! I love having a chance to spend a week with very intelligent and motivated young scholars to talk about topics that interest me.

This year I had the honor to teach with:

  • Professor Mikael Rask Madsen, iCourts, University of Copenhagen
  • Professor Larry Helfer, Duke University School of Law, US
  • Professor Andreas Føllesdal, PluriCourts, University of Oslo
  • Professor Christina Voigt, Pluricourts, University of Oslo
  • Professor Ron Levi, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
  • Professor Gunther Teubner, University of FrankfurtiCourts class

Teaching abroad in Italy

Last March I taught a 20-hour course on International Courts and Tribunals in DSC_0472Torino, Italy. It was a great experience. I taught in English to Italian students. It was a challenge. Thanks to my colleague Margherita Salvadori for inviting me!

DSC_0474The new Luigi Einaudi campus of the University of Torino is really beautiful!