Researchers' Activities
CIL Researchers at the Asian Society of International Law, 9th Biennial Conference in Indonesia
TRILA Team co-organised the Junior Scholar Workshop at the University of Indonesia, Faculty of Law.
Danielle Yeow participated in an invitation only closed door roundtable on “Countermeasures in Cyberspace”
The meeting discussed, among others, the status and content of the law of countermeasures as applied in cyberspace.
ASIL ICTIG Event on the Topic: “The Role of International Courts and Tribunals Amidst the Conflict in Ukraine: Avenues for Justice and Peace?”
5 May 2023: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the ASIL ICTIG Event on the Topic: “The Role of International Courts and Tribunals Amidst the Conflict in Ukraine: Avenues for Justice and Peace?”
Danielle Yeow was invited to attend the ASEAN Defence Meetings Meeting -Plus Chemical, Biological and Radiological Conference
Danielle Yeow was invited to attend the ASEAN Defence Meetings Meeting -Plus Chemical, Biological and Radiological Conference
Danielle Yeow spoke at the ICRC-CIL-SRC 1st Singapore International Humanitarian Law Roundtable on Technologies of Warfare and International Humanitarian Law (biological weapons)
Danielle Yeow spoke at the ICRC-CIL-SRC 1st Singapore International Humanitarian Law Roundtable on Technologies of Warfare and International Humanitarian Law (biological weapons)
Danielle Yeow was invited to speak at the inaugural UN-Singapore Cyber Fellowship programme (1-6 Aug)
The Fellowship, organised by the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, is the flagship programme under the UN-Singapore Cyber Programme.
CIL’s eAcademy Teaching Assistant, Jiang Zhifeng, has been awarded the Koh Han Kok Prize – Best Student in Public International Law!
Jiang Zhifeng, a double degree law student at Yale-NUS College and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have been awarded the Koh Han Kok Prize. Best student in Public International Law.
Tan Hsien-Li at the International Committee of the Red Cross 2022 Regional International Humanitarian Law Academic Roundtable
The roundtable was titled Pens to Practice: A Regional Exchange on Strengthening the Academic Circles’ Impact on IHL Implementation.
24 March 2022: Dr Romesh Weeramantry’s op-ed on Ukraine: Russia’s Post-Conflict Obligation to Compensate was published in the Straits Times
Dr Romesh Weeramantry, Head of International Dispute Resolution at CIL, has published an op-ed in the Straits Times entitled “Post-Conflict Ukraine: Russia’s Obligation to Compensate”.
US-ASEAN Cyber Dialogue – Fostering Digital Cooperation Across the Pacific – Danielle Yeow
Danielle Yeow is a member of the steering committee of the US-ASEAN Cyber Dialogue, a collaboration between the CIL, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The inaugural session of the Dialogue was convened on 22 Mar 2022.
Amiel Ian Valdez judged the Philip C Jessup Moot Competition – Philippine national rounds
The competition took place from 26 February to 4 March 2022. The top 3 teams will represent the Philippines in the international rounds which will run from 25 March to 10 April 2022.
30 June 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Chair a Session at the 28th ANZSIL Conference Which was Held from 30 June – 6 July 2021.
Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to Chair a Session at the 28th ANZSIL Conference which was held from 30 June – 6 July 2021. This year’s theme for the Conference was “Inertia or Innovation? Reshaping International Law for a Complex Future”. Dr Nilüfer Oral chaired the session titled “Binding advisory opinions? Re-shaping procedure and substance in inter-state dispute settlement”
26 May 2021: Dr Romesh Weeramantry and Brian Chang co-author Oxford Bibliographies in International Law entry on Investor-State Conciliation and Mediation
This annotated bibliography provides an introduction to investor-State conciliation and mediation, and a snapshot of the major publications on this topic.
6 May 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the University of Essex to Participate at the Essex Public International Law Lecture: A Common But Differentiated Law of International Adjudication
| 6 May 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral Was Invited by the University of Essex to Participate at the Essex Public International Law Lecture: A Common But Differentiated Law of International Adjudication
About the lecture Against the ever increasing resort to international courts and tribunals in their multifarious configurations, the lecture addresses commonalities and differences between them. Based on the characterizing features of their discernible mandate, three major adjudicative clusters are portrayed. Namely, a) traditional inter-state and investor-state litigation; b) international human rights litigation; c) international criminal litigation. The law of international adjudication is divided up between procedural law stricto sensu – intended as the set of rules strictly governing the conduct of proceedings –, and the body of principles and tenets which provide for the contents and boundaries of the powers and duties concerning the adjudicative decision-making process – i.e., non- liquet, ne ultra/ne infra petita, jura novit curia. While the commonalities of strictly procedural law throughout different forms of international adjudication are fall well into chartered territory, the lecture will focus on the different modulations of the latter set of principles in relation to each of the three mentioned adjudicative contexts.
About the speakers Professor Attila Tanzi Attila M. Tanzi is Chair of International Law at the University of Bologna and Associate Member of 3VB Chambers. His recent Concise Introduction to International Law (2019) and treaties on international law in Italian (6th ed. 2019), testify to his characterisation as a PIL generalist. His fields of specialization include international procedural law, environmental law, investment law, the law of the sea, jurisdictional immunities, and the law of international organisations. A Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Conciliator at the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration Chairman of the Implementation Committee of the of the UNECE 1992 Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. He has been Visiting Professor at Queen Mary University of London, Université Paris II-Panthéon Assas, University of Vienna and Université Paris Nanterre and formerly visiting fellow, inter alia, at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law. He is going to give a special course at The Hague Academy of International Law on The Principle Iura Novit Curia in International Judicial and Arbitral Proceedings next summer. He serves as Counsel in inter-state litigation and as an arbitrator in investor-states disputes.
Dr Nilüfer Oral Nilüfer Oral is Director of the Centre of International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore and is a member of the law faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. She is member of the UN International Law Commission and Co-chair of the Study Group on Sea-level rise in relation to international law. She served as climate change negotiator for the Turkish Ministry (2009 – 2016). She has also appeared before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Nilufer Oral is a Distinguished Fellow of the Law of the Sea Institute at Berkeley Law (University of California Law Berkeley); Senior Fellow of the National University of Singapore Law School; and Honorary Research Fellow at University of Dundee. She is a member of the IUCN-WCEL Steering Committee. She was elected to the IUCN Council 2012-2016 and served as the Co-chair of the WCEL Specialist Group on Oceans, Coasts and Coral Reefs. Dr. Oral is the series editor for the International Straits of the World publications (Brill); member of the Board of Editors of the European Society of International Law Series; Board of Editors of the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law; Associate Editor of the Research Perspectives in the Law of the Sea (Brill); Board of Advisors for the International Law Studies Journal and International Advisory Board, and Chinese Journal of Environmental Law (Brill). She has published numerous articles edited several books, and has spoken at many international conferences.
About the Essex Public International Law Lecture Series The Essex Public International Law lecture series is founded, hosted and co-chaired by Dr Meagan Wong and Dr Emily Jones based in the School of Law. This is a weekly lecture series featuring judges of international courts and tribunals, leading academics, and practitioners of international law from governmental service, international organizations, and private practice from across the globe. The series prides itself on building on two important intellectual traditions of international law: formalism and international legal practice, and international legal theory including postcolonial and feminist perspectives. |
May 2021: Dr Romesh Weeramantry appointed to Sri Lankan Minister of Justice’s Expert Committee
Dr Romesh Weeramantry, Head of International Dispute Resolution at CIL, has been appointed to the Sri Lankan Minister of Justice’s Expert Committee to advise on the drafting of a new Arbitration Act for Sri Lanka
26 March 2021: Amiel Ian Valdez presented on International Environmental Law before the lawyers and legal staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines
Amiel Ian Valdez was invited to speak on 26 March 2021 before the lawyers and legal staff of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Legal Affairs Service, and representatives of the DENR Climate Change Division and International Affairs Office. The event is part of the continuing legal education programme of the DENR for its staff.
18 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Conference on Pandemics and International Law
Dr Nilüfer Oral spoke at the online conference titled Pandemics and International Law: The Need for International Action, on 18 November. The event was co-organised by Washington College of Law and its Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law; the Centre for International Law; the Vietnamese National University, Hanoi, School of Law; the Autonomous University of Lisbon; the Florida International University College of Law; and the WCL chapter of the International Law Student Association.
Dr Oral spoke alongside Professor Patrícia Galvão Teles, Professor Claudio Grossman, Professor Charles C Jalloh and Professor Nguyễn Hồng Thao. The event was moderated by Professor Claudia Martin.
10 November 2020: CIL Director Nilüfer Oral Speaks at Closing Address of The Public International Law Year in Review
Dr Nilüfer Oral was invited to speak at the online closing address of the Public International Law Year in Review on 10 November. The event was co-organised by Essex Court Chambers, Essex Court Chambers Duxton (Singapore Group Practice), Fietta LLP, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, and The Sydney Centre for International Law.
Dr Oral spoke on ongoing negotiations for a legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Other panellists were Sir Michael Wood, Rodman Bundy and Dr Emily Crawford. The event was moderated by Jackie McArthur and Ryce Lee. At the end of the webinar, Professor Vaughan Lowe QC of Essex Court Chambers, and the University of Oxford, rounded off the session by giving the closing remarks.
1 August 2019: Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico Presents Paper at Critical Approaches to International Law Symposium
Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico participated in the Critical Approaches to International Law Symposium, organised by Griffith College in Dublin from 1 to 4 August.
In his paper ‘Human Rights Courts of the Global South as creators of International Law’, Mr Gomez-Chico explored how the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights approach international law: neither embracing it completely nor fully rejecting it, but rather adapting to international legal principles for their purposes, thus ‘indigenising the universal’.
10 June 2019: CIL Researchers Sit as Arbitrators in Vietnam National Rounds of FDI International Moot
For the second consecutive year, CIL was represented in the pool of arbitrators of the Vietnam National Rounds of the FDI International Moot. Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico and Research Consultant Emily Choo sat as arbitrators for various rounds, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final match of the event. This year, team Rigaux from Hanoi Law University won against 14 other teams, advancing to the regional rounds in Seoul, South Korea.
In addition to participating as arbitrators, Ms Choo delivered a lecture on ‘The Impact of Amicus Curiae Interventions in Investor-State Disputes’, and Mr Gomez-Chico spoke on ‘How to Prepare and Win an FDI Moot Competition’ in the workshop.
7 June 2019: Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico Meets Scholars in Hanoi as Part of TRILA’s Outreach Effort
As part of the outreach efforts of the CIL’s TRILA (Teaching and Researching International Law in Asia) programme led by Professor Tony Anghie, Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico met scholars in Hanoi to discuss possibilities of collaboration: Dr Toan Thang Nguyen, Head of the Comparative Law Department at Hanoi Law University; Dr Nguyen Thi Hong Yen, Head of the Public International Law Division at Hanoi Law University; Dr Hai Yen Trinh, Vice Dean of International Law at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam; and Mr Nguyen Huu Phu, Head of International Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, and representative of the Vietnam Society of International Law.
The attendees discussed the importance of teaching and researching international law in their respective universities, the challenges faced by scholars in Vietnam, and their materials and techniques for teaching international law courses. Mr Gomez-Chico shared with them the progress of the TRILA programme, and invited their inputs on what would be most useful for local scholars regarding future CIL TRILA workshops in Vietnam.
29 May 2019: CIL TRILA Delegation Visits Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia
Professor Antony Anghie (Head of International Law Teaching) and Research Associate Eugenio Gomez-Chico visited the Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) on 29 May, as part of the outreach efforts of CIL’s Teaching and Researching International Law in Asia (TRILA) Programme. The visit was arranged by Mr Thol Theany, lecturer of international law at PUC, who participated in the TRILA Conference in 2018. Mr Thol and his colleague, Mr Phan Daro, shared with the CIL delegation their experience as teachers and researchers in Cambodian academia, in particular at PUC.
The CIL delegation met the university students from the master’s programme in international law and human rights and the bachelor’s programmes in law and international relations. The group engaged in a lively conversation on the students’ interest in international law and insights into the main international legal challenges facing Cambodia. The students overwhelmingly pointed to human rights as the area most relevant to their work, as many of them work in NGOs and government positions related to the topic.
Then Professor Anghie gave a lecture on the historical background of the current international legal order, emphasising the origins of human rights law and Asia’s role in the development of international law.
3 March 2019: Research Consultant Emily Choo Serves as Judge at Vietnam CISG Pre-Moot
Research Consultant Emily Choo was a judge at the Vietnam CISG Pre-Moot. She was previously invited to judge the national rounds of both the Foreign Direct Investment Moot and the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot.
13 February 2019: CIL Director Lucy Reed Speaks at ISDS Reform Conference Organised by Asian Academy of International Law and Hong Kong SAR Department of Justice
On 13 February 2019, Director Lucy Reed participated in the conference on ‘ISDS Reform: Mapping the Way Forward’ organised by the Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL) and the Hong Kong SAR Department of Justice. The welcoming speakers included Ms Teresa Cheng GBS SC JP, the Hong Kong SAR Secretary for Justice. The conference featured four panels—Investment Mediation, Appeal Mechanism for ISDS Awards, Third Party Funding in ISDS and Appointment of Arbitrators—and an Oxford Union style Debate on whether a Permanent Investment Court is a possible solution to ISDS problems. In an innovative approach, each panel had the benefit of a detailed discussion paper by a young private or government practitioner.
Professor Reed spoke on the Investment Mediation panel, on the topic of how to incentivise host governments and investors to use investor-State mediation. Also on the panel were (as pictured) Dr Anthony Neoh (AAIL Chairman), Professor Jack Coe from Pepperdine Law School and Paul Starr from King & Wood Mallesons. The discussion paper was from David Ng of the Hong Kong SAR Department of Justice.
8 January 2019: Practice Fellow Rachel Tan’s Team Won ECC-SAL International Mooting Competition
Rachel Tan Xi’en (CIL Practice Fellow) and Dana Chang (Wong Partnership) emerged champions at the Essex Court Chambers–Singapore Academy of Law (ECC-SAL) Mooting Competition 2019, after five rounds of competition. They won against the team from Wong Partnership in the final round held on 8 January 2019 at the Supreme Court of Singapore.
The ECC-SAL Moot is open to young lawyers from around Asia who have been qualified for no more than three years, to hone their advocacy skills. This year’s topic involved a dispute before the Singapore International Commercial Court concerning the question of the implication of terms in a contract and the validity of entire agreement clauses. The moot finals were judged by Justice Kannan Ramesh (Supreme Court of Singapore), David Foxton QC (Head of Essex Court Chambers) and Ng Jern-Fei QC (Essex Court Chambers).