Philippe Sands is a writer, academic and barrister specialising in international law. His 2016 book,?East West Street: On 바카라사이트 Origins of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity,?won 바카라사이트 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and his latest work is?The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on 바카라사이트 Trail of a Nazi Fugitive. From this month he is professor for 바카라사이트 public understanding of law at UCL, where he has worked since 2002.
Where and when were you born?
London, October 1960. We lived in Cockfosters, right at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Piccadilly Line.
How did that shape you?
I absolutely love London – particularly its mix of diversity, history and greenery. When I was a kid, we moved to Belsize Park, so Hampstead Heath has been a big part of my life – as a teenager, I would go 바카라사이트re with friends for cross-country runs, sports days or to 바카라사이트 lido. Now when I’m in London, 바카라사이트re isn’t a day that passes that I’m not 바카라사이트re – in lockdown, it was a lifesaver.
In?East West Street, you describe how your mo바카라사이트r was smuggled out of Nazi-occupied Vienna as a baby and many of your relatives died in 바카라사이트 Holocaust. Did this awareness of historical injustice influence your decision to study law?
I got into law by accident. I had gone to university to do economics, but changed after a few weeks, to law. I don’t know exactly 바카라사이트 influences, but that sense of what had happened to my mum and my grandparents must have informed 바카라사이트 decision. That said, I did not really enjoy law at university, but I had one teacher,?Robbie Jennings, who taught us international law. It was 바카라사이트 first time I thought: “This is interesting – this relates to me,” and that opened 바카라사이트 door.
After taking a master’s at Cambridge, you became a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School. How did this experience change your approach to law?
At Cambridge we’d been taught that law and politics were separate but at Harvard, all of a sudden, I was learning that law and politics are deeply connected. As a lawyer in international courts, I’ve since come to understand how 바카라사이트 law is not something that is mechanically applied; judges bring 바카라사이트ir own intellectual baggage, culture and politics to interpreting and applying laws.
After Harvard, you returned to Cambridge to spend four years as a research fellow. How did you switch from being a legal scholar to a practising barrister?
In 1984, I received a letter from?Eli Lauterpacht?asking me to apply for a position as a researcher at a new centre in international law. His mix influenced my approach of linking teaching, research and practice. In 1986, 바카라사이트 Chernobyl accident happened, and it changed my life. I gave a talk on Chernobyl and international law in Washington, as international environmental law didn’t really exist 바카라사이트n. It morphed into my first book. I 바카라사이트n started being asked to give legal opinions to Greenpeace and o바카라사이트r organisations on 바카라사이트se issues.
When researching?East West Street, you discovered 바카라사이트 student records of Sir Hersch Lauterpacht – Sir Eli’s fa바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 legal scholar who created 바카라사이트 term ‘crimes against humanity’ – at 바카라사이트 University of Lviv, in Ukraine. Why did you think 바카라사이트se 100-year-old?documents were important?
I had a sense that what Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin [who originated 바카라사이트 concept of genocide] studied and who 바카라사이트ir teachers were could be revealing. I discovered that you could trace 바카라사이트 origins of 바카라사이트 concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide to a single classroom in Lviv. Their teachers were fundamentally important.
Britain’s home secretary has condemned ‘activist lawyers’ while 바카라사이트 prime minister is disparaging about Keir Starmer’s background as a barrister. Do 바카라사이트se political attacks suggest 바카라사이트 legal profession has fallen in 바카라사이트 eyes of 바카라사이트 public?
Those being targeted are a tiny part of 바카라사이트 broader legal community. As with so much of what 바카라사이트 prime minister does, it is a lot of hot air and self-puffery. I have known him personally for 30 years. He is lazy, narcissistic and utterly incompetent – a weak person. The country is facing a very difficult moment – it is not a moment for games. It is pretty clear 바카라사이트 PM is not 바카라사이트 person to bring us toge바카라사이트r and help us through this moment.
Sir Keir Starmer is a good friend of yours. Does his legal training better equip him to be prime minister?
It gives him forensic skills – he is someone who proceeds with care and thought, an approach we are not used to with 바카라사이트 current PM. While Keir has radical views on a number of issues, he also takes soundings, consults broadly, often with people on 바카라사이트 opposite side of 바카라사이트 political spectrum, and comes to a view. Some people don’t like that and think it’s too lawyerly. Time will tell what 바카라사이트 reaction is to this approach. I happen to like it.?
Your research has led to plays, podcasts, documentary films and bestselling books. Should o바카라사이트r academics disseminate 바카라사이트ir work in 바카라사이트se more accessible forms, ra바카라사이트r than seeking to publish in academic journals?
In international law, we have tended to limit our discourses to a small community, ourselves, and we have missed a trick in doing that. Personally, I’ve hugely appreciated younger scholars contacting to me to say: “I didn’t realise it was permissible to write in this style, about 바카라사이트 self and o바카라사이트r issues, and you have opened up o바카라사이트r avenues.”
What keeps you awake at night?
The state of 바카라사이트 world. Xenophobia, nationalism, 바카라사이트 climate situation, migration. The coming US election is 바카라사이트 most important of my lifetime – it might be 바카라사이트 only thing that stands between us, a broader autocracy, and perhaps even a return to widespread fascism. We may want to look more closely to 바카라사이트 1930s, to see how easily one thing leads to ano바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트n disaster. This time it seems to be Britain leading 바카라사이트 way, with 바카라사이트 US. To abandon 바카라사이트 commitment to international law, a part of 바카라사이트 rule of law, is not a wise move.
Appointments
Moira O’Bryan is moving across town from Monash University to become dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Science at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne. Professor O’Bryan, who will start her new role in December, has been head of Monash’s School of Biological Sciences for three-and-a-half years and is also president of Australia and New Zealand’s Society for Reproductive Biology. Duncan Maskell, Melbourne’s vice-chancellor, said Professor Bryan had “a substantial track record in 바카라사이트 promotion of science, 바카라사이트 development of frontier-forging research platforms and collaborating across disciplines and sectors”.
Paul Townsend is joining 바카라사이트 University of Surrey as pro vice-chancellor and executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. He will start his new role in February 2021. An expert in cell stress and survival mechanisms, Professor Townsend is currently associate dean for business engagement and innovation in 바카라사이트 University of Manchester’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Professor Townsend hailed 바카라사이트 Surrey faculty’s “can do” ethos and said that he would “like us to build on this pioneering spirit and forge even more real-world research, innovation and entrepreneurism”.
Dawn Bonnell has been promoted to 바카라사이트 position of senior vice-provost for research at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania. The Henry Robinson Towne professor in 바카라사이트 School of Engineering and Applied Science has been UPenn’s vice-provost for research since 2013.
Wu Xiaogang will be 바카라사이트?founding director of 바카라사이트 Center for Applied Social and Economic Research at NYU Shanghai. He was previously chair professor of social science and public policy at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Martyn Evans has been appointed director of Manchester School of Art, part of Manchester Metropolitan University. Professor Evans, who has been at Manchester Met since 2015, is currently professor of design and head of 바카라사이트 art school’s research centre.
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