Researchers' Activities

The competition took place virtually from 10 to 14 May 2022. They evaluated and scored the oral pleadings of the participants during the International Rounds.

The International Conference on Environmental Law, Governance, and Sustainable Development provides a timely opportunity to critically investigate practical, philosophical, and methodological approaches for addressing longstanding barriers to the effective design and implementation of environmental law.

This Conference brings together governments, business leaders, environmental educators, academics, and practitioners to exchange knowledge experience and learn from each other on how to strengthen the implementation and application of the international environmental rule of law in Africa and beyond.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Climate Change, Energy Transition and Looking Beyond the Earth’s Future: The Role of Stakeholders in Sustaining International Environmental Rule of Law”. Dr Nilufer Oral was one of the keynote speakers for the conference.

International Law Academy British Branch Spring Conference 2022 On 28-29 April 2022

The conference will consider legal problems likely to emerge from ongoing changes resulting from climate change and its consequences, as set out in the 2021 IPCC report.

Panels comprising a mixture of invited and selected speakers will be convened on the following themes:

• Impact of rising sea levels on migration and statehood
• Climate change and international trade and investment law

• Human rights and climate change
• Litigating on climate change.

Dr Nilufer Oral spoke on the work of the International Law Commission on sea level rise in relation to international Law.

You can read more about the conference and the programme at the link: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/events/20220428-international-law-association-british-branch-spring-conference-2022

Head of Nuclear Law and Policy, Denise Cheong was invited to participate in the first-ever “International Conference on Nuclear Law: The Global Debate” organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 25 to 29 April 2022 in Vienna, Austria. She presented as part of the roundtable titled “The Role of Nuclear Law in the Broader Context of Other Areas of Law”.

Drawing on her research experience, Denise’s presentation focused on how nuclear law could be conceptualised and what implications this may have on current approaches to higher education research and the requisite learning and skills for developing capacity within the research domain. Her presentation began with observations on the state of play within the research domain then focused on nuclear law at the international level, reflecting on its role, nature and ambit, given the realities of (i) “boundary interactions” with other branches of international law, and (ii) institutional “law making”.

Key takeaways from her presentation included: First, the need for a holistic conceptualisation of nuclear law in order to promote its objective of providing a legal framework that would adequately protect individuals, property and the environment. This should include nuclear law provisions in other areas of law as well as both hard and soft law. Second, nuclear law researchers, as part of broader research community, have an important part to play in helping to “discover” the breadth & depth of nuclear law and more research collaboration is needed to advance the objective of nuclear law, in light of the increasingly complex and multidisciplinary issues that nuclear law is being called on to address. Third, new learning, skills and support are needed to help nuclear law research fulfil this role effectively.

Further details of this conference are available on the IAEA’s conference page and programme.

Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong, Research Fellow Nivedita S and Research Associates Manisha Regalla and Annabelle Teo participated in the first-ever  “International Conference on Nuclear Law: The Global Debate” organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 25 to 29 April 2022. This was an in-person conference held in Vienna, Austria which also provided for virtual participation, allowing all members of the CIL Nuclear Team to participate in the event.

Over the week, the conference provided a unique forum for leading global experts from governments, international and non-governmental organisations, industry, academia and civil society to share experiences and discuss topical issues with a view to developing further the various areas of nuclear law and promoting international expertise in this field. The format of the conference included a high-level opening session with opening remarks by the IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi  and keynote speeches from leading global experts in the nuclear field; a series of topical sessions that addressed key nuclear law issues and round-table discussions that provided the opportunity for focused discussions. Senior Research Fellow Denise Cheong presented as part of the roundtable titled “The Role of Nuclear Law in the Broader Context of Other Areas of Law”. 

Details of the event and Speakers are available on the IAEA’s conference page and programme.

The Conference was organised by the Centre for Public Policy Research of India in collaboration with Monash University and support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support ASEAN-Australia-India Indo-Pacific Cooperation.

This regional consultation was organised on 20 April 2022 via Zoom by COBSEA as part of the project ‘Reducing marine litter by addressing the management of the plastic value chain in South-East Asia’ (SEA circular). COBSEA member States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, RO Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam participated to the consultation.

She was also invited to grade memorials submitted by the teams, which pleaded the RV Vilhelmina case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

For more information, click this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arbitrators-for-uk-free-trade-agreements-ftas/arbitrators-for-the-uk-republic-of-singapore-free-trade-agreement-fta

The original writeup was submitted to the OECD’s Public Consultation on Investment Treaties and Climate Change.