Genocide is perceived as the ‘crime of all crimes’ and the worst form of violence amongst humans (Rafter, 2016; 1). Yet, despite its recognition as a tragedy, policymakers are yet to fully acknowledge the relationship between human and national security and thus recognise genocide as a threat in the same way it recognises other threats (Gallagher, 2013). Security as a …

This year, Egypt was ranked 166th out of 180 countries in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index (RSF, 2021b). This comes as no surprise given the country’s consistent status as one of the world’s top jailers of journalists. Indeed, in 2020, Egypt had the third highest number of jailed journalists globally, with at least 27 journalists in prison (CPJ, 2020).Yet, …

Sponsored by the UK Home Office, The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill is a proposed piece of legislation that makes the first major changes to the Public Order Act 1986 since 2003. If passed it will grant police, an “unprecedented extension” of powers to, inter alia, shut down peaceful protests with limited balances and checks in place to …

On June 14 2021 and on her last day in office, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, announced the conclusion of the preliminary examination into the Philippines and requested judicial authorisation to proceed with a formal investigation (ICC, 2021). The preliminary examination determined a “reasonable basis to believe that the Crime Against Humanity of murder has been committed” …

It is undeniable that human trafficking is a global challenge. About 25 million people worldwide are trafficking victims according to the UN (UNODC, 2020). The majority of trafficking victims are between 18 and 24 years of age (ibid). 43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98% are women and girls (ibid). Human trafficking and smuggling …

Introduction In December 2019, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal committing to climate nutrality by 2050. The European Green Deal (EGD) can be considered as a roadmap of key policies for the EU’s climate agenda, based on which the Commission has started, and will continue to develop, legislative proposals and strategies from 2020 onwards (Siddi, 2021). The European …

The southern part of the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, is experiencing a serious drought, that combined with the Covid-19 crisis has lead to a humanitarian crisis. The catastrophe is occurring as a result of three years of drought in the region, which has resulted in the country’s worst drought in 40 years. What is the …

Universal Jurisdiction is a legal principle that allows a foreign state to prosecute an individual in their national courts for a limited number of international crimes regardless of who committed them, where they were committed and against whom (Cali, 2010). The increase in universal jurisdiction proceedings in recent years is promising but there are still fundamental challenges that must be …

Once a prosperous country and the largest democracy of the Arab World,  Egypt is currently under one of the harshest military regimes in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Even though Egypt was one of the first and most prominent places where the Arab Spring flourished, the General Abdel Fattah al Sisi, who took power in 2014, has …

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was founded in 1998 and was established through the Rome Statute with the purpose of prosecuting egregious international crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, when national jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to do so. It contributes directly to the fight against impunity and the strengthening of the rule of law. It …