Critical Reflections on the 15th Annual Cambridge International Law Conference

 

Brief Consideration of the 15th Annual Cambridge International Law Conference

In March, we marked the International Day of Women Judges, reaffirming the importance of inclusivity and representation in judicial systems worldwide. This week, through our virtual participation in the 15th Annual Cambridge International Law Conference (23–24 April 2026), we continued that spirit of engagement with pressing global legal debates.

The conference brought together distinguished voices such as Judge Ioannis Ktistakis of the European Court of Human Rights, Professor Costas Douzinas of Birkbeck, and Judge Beti Hohler of the International Criminal Court, each addressing the evolving boundaries of human rights, states of exception, and accountability for international crimes. Across panels, we explored critical themes: the reimagining of rights, intellectual development of international law, technology and inequality, environmental governance in crisis, humanitarian protection in armed conflict, criminal accountability gaps, and reforms in economic law.

This gathering underscored the urgent need to confront structural inequalities, safeguard human dignity, and adapt international law to contemporary challenges. Just as the presence of women judges strengthens the legitimacy of justice systems, the diverse perspectives shared at Cambridge highlight the necessity of inclusivity, critical reflection, and reform in global legal governance.

Reimagining International Criminal Law across Evil motives, Norms, and structures

The SDG 16 calls for peace, justice, and strong institutions, yet the lived experiences of many international students in the United Kingdom reveal deep failures in these commitments. Beyond individual acts of discrimination, we see institutional and structural evils: ridicule, arbitrary visa cancellations, falsified academic records, invasions of privacy, vandalism, and even suspected contamination of food and water. Complaints mechanisms are reported to be entirely ineffective—non‑responsive, corrupt, and complicit. In one case, the University of York allegedly colluded with UK Visas and Immigration to unlawfully cancel the visa of a Black student after seizing the funds they had paid to study, with no accountability or remedy. These realities exemplify structural violence and necropolitics, where institutions themselves perpetuate harm and deny justice. How can international criminal law, and its cross‑fertilisation with national systems, be reimagined to confront not only individual wrongdoing but also institutional corruption and structural abuses of power? And crucially, where can victims of such systemic injustice seek genuine recourse when domestic complaints systems fail?