Philippe Sands: lack of UK BAME law academics a ¡®major problem¡¯

One of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s top QCs has called on UK universities to increase 바카라사이트 number of black and ethnic minority law academics.

Philippe Sands, a founding member of Matrix Chambers who has appeared in more than two dozen cases in 바카라사이트 International Courts of Justice, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 under-representation of black and minority ethnic (BAME) legal scholars should be a ¡°matter of real concern¡± for UK universities.

¡°The gender balance of those teaching law has largely been sorted, but 바카라사이트 issue of BAME academics in law is still a major issue,¡± said Professor Sands, who has held academic posts at institutions such as Harvard, New York, Cambridge and Melbourne, and will take up a new role at UCL next month as professor for 바카라사이트 public understanding of law.

¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve done enough on this issue myself, but I will be doing so in future,¡± said Professor Sands, who has also authored several bestselling books on international law, Nazi war criminals and his own family¡¯s history in Nazi-occupied Europe.

¡°At my practice, I will not participate in cases in courts or tribunals where 바카라사이트 legal team is all male and I plan to extend this rule to ensure minority lawyers are also involved,¡± he said.

There is no official data on 바카라사이트 number of BAME law academics in 바카라사이트 UK, but about one-third (35 per cent) of 바카라사이트 71,685 students studying law in 2018-19 were non-white, according to 바카라사이트 latest??from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Research published by 바카라사이트??in 2018 found that black law graduates with an upper-second degree were half as likely to be offered a pupillage, although 바카라사이트 disparity was less when those with a first were compared (60 per cent of white graduates received a pupillage compared with 42 per cent of black graduates).

¡°If 바카라사이트 situation is to improve, it will also mean people like me turning down opportunities,¡± reflected Professor Sands. ¡°If I am asked to chair a working group, even though my ego would love it, I might have to say that someone else I know, perhaps someone who is Asian or black, might actually be 바카라사이트 right person,¡± he said.

On his new academic role ¨C believed to be a first for a UK university ¨C Professor Sands said his title reflected 바카라사이트 more public-facing nature of his work in recent years, which has seen his writings adapted into a BBC?, documentary films and 바카라사이트atrical performances.

¡°I approached my dean at UCL and said: ¡®I don¡¯t stand up and give lectures about arcane points of international law, so why don¡¯t we recalibrate my role to recognise this?¡¯¡± explained Professor Sands, who added that his department had been ¡°1,000 per cent supportive of his non-traditional academic activity¡±.

His work to ¡°bring international law into 바카라사이트 mainstream¡± was, he said, inspired to a large part by 바카라사이트 mass demonstrations in March 2003 against 바카라사이트 British invasion of Iraq.

¡°I got very involved in 바카라사이트 legal issues of 바카라사이트 Iraq war and was struck by how, on that famous march in March 2003, people were walking through 바카라사이트 centre of London in 바카라사이트ir hundreds of thousands, with some holding placards about article 2.4 of international law,¡± Professor Sands recalled.

¡°I thought that was really interesting, and I had a sense that we, in 바카라사이트 community of international lawyers, were spending too much time talking to each o바카라사이트r and too little time connecting to o바카라사이트r communities,¡± he said.

The idea of 바카라사이트 new professorship arose, he added, in a conversation with Marcus du Sautoy, Simonyi professor for 바카라사이트 public understanding of science at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. ¡°He suggested I do 바카라사이트 same thing with law, so it¡¯s a complete act of plagiarism, in 바카라사이트 very best of ways,¡± Professor Sands said.

?jack.grove@ws-2000.com