British Institute of International and Comparative Law

28/05/2026

📢 Have Your Say on the Future of BIICL

Our mission - to contribute towards informed, independent thinking in law and decision making for a global community and to uphold the rule of law at the international and national level - has never been more important. At a time when the role of law as a foundation for a just, peaceful, and safe world is under increasing strain, there is also a real opportunity to shape what comes next.

Over the coming months, we will develop a new BIICL strategy for 2027 onwards, and we would greatly value your input to help shape it. We want to ensure it is grounded in strong foresight about our rapidly changing world, and a clear understanding of BIICL’s role and priorities.

Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey for BIICL audiences, whether members or non-members. If you are unsure which version applies to you, please select the non-member survey.

🎁 As a thank you, all respondents have the option to be entered into a prize draw to win one of three free places on a course of your choice from BIICL’s internationally recognised training programme. The prize is transferable.

We would greatly appreciate your views — and look forward to hearing from you!

26/05/2026

📣 New Partnership Announcement | Executive PgCert in AI Law and the Creative Economy

BIICL is pleased to announce a partnership with CREATe and the University of Glasgow School of Law. This collaboration includes the launch of a new executive Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in AI Law and the Creative Economy.

Find out more about the programme and registration details 👉https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/ai-law-the-creative-economy/

Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals across law, policy, technology, and the creative industries, the PgCert responds to growing demand for agile, interdisciplinary expertise in technology law. It explores the legal and regulatory implications of artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on the creative and cultural sectors, and how law and policy can respond to the rapid transformations AI is bringing to creative practice, markets, and regulation.

The programme combines online preparatory learning with in-person teaching weekends in London, beginning in September 2026.

🔸 Regulating AI in the Creative Economy – 12–14 November 2026
🔸 Digital Creators, AI and the Law – 25–27 February 2027
🔸 Data and AI in the Creative Economy – 20–22 May 2027

The programme will be launched at an event on 27 May, bringing together colleagues from CREATe and BIICL to mark the start of this collaboration and discuss emerging research and trends with regulators. The event is free, and you can register here 👉 https://www.biicl.org/events/12111/trends-in-regulating-ai-in-the-creative-economy-new-research-from-the-create-centre-university-of-glasgow

Full blog and quotes from Martin Kretschmer, Jean-Pierre Gauci, Claire McDiarmid, and Sonya Sceats: https://www.biicl.org/newsitems/16574/new-partnership-with-university-of-glasgow-create

25/05/2026

We are pleased to announce that we will be co-hosting a panel discussion with Keidan Harrison LLP and Essex Court Chambers Chambers as part of London International Disputes Week (LIDW) on Investor-State Arbitration and the Global South.

The event will take place on Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 4:30 p.m. and will be held at the BIICL offices in London. It will bring together leading practitioners and academics to examine current developments and critical perspectives in investor-state arbitration, with a particular focus on the Global South.

The panel will be chaired by Luke Tucker Harrison and speakers will include Prof. Yarik Kryvoi, Prof. Dan Sarooshi K.C., Zenith Europa, and Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda, SC.

Further details and registration information are available here: https://www.biicl.org/events/12105/investor-state-arbitration-and-the-global-south

19/05/2026

💡 Upcoming Event: Trends in Regulating AI in the Creative Economy

Rapid AI developments are reshaping creative products and services, as well as the ways in which information is accessed and consumed. Foundational AI models - trained on vast amounts of personal data and creative content - are at the centre of current political debates on innovation, growth, and risk. The effects on consumers and society remain difficult to measure, raising pressing regulatory questions at the intersection of intellectual property, competition, information and technology law.

On 27 May, BIICL and CREATe, the Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy (University of Glasgow), will bring together academics, regulators and policymakers to explore the complex regulatory challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence in the Creative Economy.

The event also will launch a new executive programme in AI Law and the Creative Economy, available for registration now: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/ai-law-the-creative-economy/

The following colleagues from CREATe, University of Glasgow will be panelists: Prof. Lilian Edwards, Prof. Kristofer Erickson, Dr. Zihao Li, Bartolomeo Meletti, Dr. Magali Eben, Prof. Martin Kretschmer and Prof. Philip Schlesinger. The session will be chaired by Dr Jean-Pierre Gauci from BIICL.

Find out more and register 👇👇

27 May 2026, BIICL, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5JP and Online

18/05/2026

✍️ New Insight: Countering ISDS Claims: Old Tensions and New Defences

Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) is increasingly being shaped by forces extending beyond the traditional framework of investment protection. Economic sanctions, geopolitical conflict, and broader questions of legitimacy are placing new pressures on the system and influencing how States respond to investor claims.

These themes were explored at the recent roundtable, Countering ISDS Claims: Old Tensions and New Defences, hosted on 30 April 2026 by the Investment Treaty Forum at BIICL, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg.

In a new blog post, Helin Laufer reflects on the discussions and examines how States are responding to investor-State claims in an increasingly complex geopolitical and legal environment.

11/05/2026

📢 Rapid Response Webinar: The Chişinău Political Declaration on the ECHR

🗓 18 May 2026
⏰ 13:00–14:30 (UK time)

On 15 May, States Party to the European Convention on Human Rights are expected to adopt a political declaration on migration in the context of the Convention.

The declaration is expected to address fundamental issues regarding the scope and application of Article 3 (Prohibition of Torture) and Article 8 (Right to Family life) and the role of the European Court of Human Rights in light of contemporary migration matters. It is set to cover mass arrivals, decision-making processes, the instrumentalisation of migration, 'innovative solutions to address migration' and the interplay between human rights and security.

This webinar will bring academic, policy and practitioners' perspectives to the declaration and its implications on the effectiveness of the international human rights law regime, as well as in the context of proposals for withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Convention of Human Rights.

Chair
🔷 Sir Tim Eicke KC, Essex Court Chambers, and former Judge, European Court of Human Rights

Speakers
🔷 Professor Alice Donald, Middlesex University
🔷 Dr Alice Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
🔷 Daniel Holder, Committee on the Administration of Justice and International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)
🔷 Raza Hussain KC, Matrix Chambers
🔷 Professor Katja Ziegler, Co-Director of the Centre for European Law and Internationalisation, University of Leicester

Free to attend for BIICL members, £30 for non-members.
Not a member yet? Join here: https://www.biicl.org/membership-individual

07/05/2026

⏰ Last chance to secure your place at the Forty-Fifth ITF Public Conference!

25 years ago the International Law Commission (ILC) adopted Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, now regarded as one of the most important instruments of public international law, on which investor-state tribunals often rely.

To mark this anniversary, we are convening the Forty-Fifth ITF Public Conference on 22 May at the BIICL offices in London. You are invited to join us either in person or online. Leading experts in the field will examine both the theoretical and practical challenges related to state responsibility.

Keynote Address
🔷 Prof. Jan Klabbers, University of Cambridge

Panel 1: General Principles and the Existence of Breach
🔷 Steven Finizio, WilmerHale (Chair)
🔷 Simon Olleson, Twenty Essex
🔷 Andrea Menaker, White & Case LLP
🔷 Maurice Mendelson KC, Blackstone Chambers

Panel 2: Attribution of Wrongful Acts
🔷 Charles Claypoole, Latham & Watkins LLP (Chair)
🔷 Michael Arada Greenop, WilmerHale
🔷 Raja Bose, K&L Gates
🔷 Samantha Rowe, Debevoise & Plimpton

Panel 3: Nature of Wrongful Acts and Reparation
🔷 Hannah Ambrose, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (Chair)
🔷 Claudia Annacker, Annacker International Disputes
🔷 Alan Bonfiglio Ríos, Secretariat of Economy of Mexico
🔷 Richard Trinick, Three Crowns LLP

Closing Remarks
🔷 Prof. Andrea Bjorklund, McGill University

The event is free of charge for members of the Investment Treaty Forum (ITF) and invited guests. Charges apply for non-members.

01/05/2026

🌍 Public International Law Summer School (13 - 17 July)

Deepen your understanding of public international law with our 5-day Summer School—delivered online or in London.

Global events and legal developments continue to highlight the relevance of international law to various aspects of our lives. From tackling climate change and environmental challenges, to promoting food and energy security; from protecting vulnerable groups to safeguarding critical infrastructure, international law provides the framework for cooperation between States, international organisations, and beyond.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the field, equipping participants with the knowledge and tools to support further study or professional development. You will learn from leading experts at a world-renowned institute, based in one of the world’s most international cities.

Topics include:
🔹 Foundational concepts of international law
🔹 International dispute settlement
🔹 International human rights law
🔹 Law of the sea, the environment and climate change
🔹 International law and armed conflict
🔹 International law and technology
🔹 International economic law

💬 "It was a very comprehensive and engaging course. It gave a clear overview of the many areas of public international law and the lecturers were very knowledgeable."

🎓 Scholarships and discounts are available.

Secure your place 👇👇

13 - 17 July 2026, BIICL, Russell Square, London and Online

30/04/2026

We are pleased to announce the publication of our annual report covering 2024 and 2025. Offering an outline of our research and publications across many areas of international law the report gives a detailed picture of our activities.

Read the report 👉 https://www.biicl.org/impactsbiicl

29/04/2026

❓ Looking to gain a clear, practical understanding of how the law responds to rapid technological change? Join our Law and Technology Summer School.

Offered in partnership with the University of Lausanne, this five day summer school offers a comprehensive overview of the diverse and fast-moving area of technologies applied in the field of law. Students from across the world will get an introduction to law and technology from a comparative perspective with classes on specific technology-related topics including AI regulation, ODR and LegalTech and on the application of existing areas of law to technologies including competition law and intellectual property law.

The programme includes a moot court at the Royal Courts of Justice and students will also participate in workshops and listen to expert roundtables.

Topics include:
🔹 Introduction to Law, Technology and AI
🔹 AI and Dispute Resolution
🔹 Competition Law and Technology
🔹 Intellectual Property and AI
🔹 Mass Data Sharing
🔹 Operationalising Digital Rights
🔹 Understanding Digital Assets

💬 The course did an excellent job of providing breadth (covering everything from AI to patents to competition law) in addition to depth.

🎓 Scholarships and discounts are available.

Secure your place 👇👇

29 June - 3 July 2026, BIICL, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Sq, London WC1B 5JP