British Institute of International and Comparative Law

📢 Bookings are now open for BIICL’s Autumn Programme of Short Courses — a practical way to stay ahead of the legal and policy issues shaping today’s world.

This autumn’s programme brings together timely courses on business and human rights, law of the sea, cultural heritage law, climate change litigation, AI regulation as well as our flagship course in public international law in practice.

🚀 We are excited to be launching a new course in Space Law.

Whether you advise clients, develop policy, work in government or in civil society, or otherwise engage with international legal issues in your work or research, these short courses offer focused insight you can put to use immediately. Each course draws on BIICL’s leading research and is delivered by international experts from BIICL and its wider network.

🚨 BIICL members receive a 20% discount on course fees and group discounts are available. A limited number of scholarships are also available.

🌍 Join us at the London Conference on International Law 2026!

The London Conference on International Law is now just four months away. Taking place at the QEII Centre on 1–2 October, it promises to be a standout event for anyone working in or interested in international law.

BIICL is delighted to share that our Director and CEO, Sonya Sceats, will be speaking on careers in international law.

We are also pleased to let you know that BIICL will have a stand at the conference exhibition — we would love for you to come and visit us and say hello.

We very much hope to see you there!

Secure your place: https://thelondonconference.org/

📢 New Policy Brief | From Transposition to Transformation: Designing and Enforcing Effective National HREDD Laws

How can the transposition of the CSDDD become a catalyst for meaningful change rather than a mere compliance exercise?

Our latest policy brief brings together the key insights from the workshop for policymakers hosted by NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment, BIICL, KU Leuven, Westfälische Hochschule, Global Rights Compliance and PLMJ gathering policymakers and experts from over 20 countries to discuss effective approaches to implementing HREDD.

The discussions emphasised:
🔹 Preserving the CSDDD’s risk-based approach;
🔹 Strengthening supervisory authorities and access to remedy;
🔹 Investing in guidance and capacity-building for businesses and SMEs;
🔹 Promoting regulatory coherence and international alignment;
🔹 Fostering meaningful stakeholder engagement and collaboration.

The central message is clear: effective national implementation should not simply transpose legal obligations but transform responsible business conduct into tangible benefits for people, the environment, and businesses.

Read the full policy brief here:

Policy Brief - From Transposition to Transformation: Designing and Enforcing Effective National HREDD Laws 19th June 2026 - On 8 May 2026, BIICL co-hosted a workshop at NOVA School of Law in Lisbon, Portugal, to facilitate dialogue on the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This policy brief summarising key discussions and takeaways from each of the panels of t...

💡 New free online course: From Theory to Practice: Applying the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU

We are proud to have contributed to a landmark new learning resource for anyone working at the intersection of EU law and fundamental rights: From Theory to Practice: Applying the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

Launched by the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies at KU Leuven, with the support of the European Commission, this MOOC is hosted on the EU academy platform and covers all Charter rights in 53 modules as well as a 200+ page practical manual.

The course is designed for those who shape EU and national laws in practice: officials drafting legislation, advisers conducting impact assessments, legal practitioners, and civil society advocates. For EU officials in particular, understanding when the Charter applies, how courts interpret its rights, and how fundamental human rights have been incorporated in legislation impact assessments is increasingly a core professional competence.

At BIICL, we are pleased that Julinda Beqiraj, Jean-Pierre Gauci, Rosana Garciandia and Noemi Magugliani together with former colleagues Sara Al Khashlok, Georgia Greville, Céline Hocquet and Iris Anastasiadou contributed to this initiative, helping to bridge the gap between fundamental rights principles and their practical application in policymaking and governance. We are delighted to see it live and reaching the audiences who need it most. This is the kind of capacity-building that moves fundamental rights from the margins to the centre of policymaking.

🎓 Certificates are issued on completion of each module. The course is free.

Get started today: https://academy.europa.eu/courses/from-theory-to-practice-applying-the-charter-of-fundamental-rights-of-the-eu

We are delighted to have launched the new AI Law and the Creative Economy PgCert, a unique executive programme developed in partnership with University of Glasgow School of Law and CREATe.

Our launch event in London on 27 May brought together researchers, regulators, and practitioners to explore some of the key legal and policy challenges arising from the rapid development of AI and its impact on the creative economy.

🎥 If you missed the event, you can watch the recording here:
https://lnkd.in/eREMvU6f

💡 Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing a series of short insights from speakers at the event, highlighting some of the most important issues shaping the future of AI regulation and the creative industries.

Learn more about the programme: https://gla.ac/4dRynoX

Another news day for Labour Rights as the International Labour Organization international labour conference today adopted the first convention on platform work affirming labour rights applicable to those in the platform economy - including the right of association and collective bargaining, the prohibition of discrimination and of forced labour and the right to a safe and healthy working environment. Critically it addresses the question of misclassification of platform workers.

Commenting on the adoption of the Convention, Dr Jean-Pierre Gauci, BIICL Senior Fellow noted: ‘Our work over the past 5 years has highlighted the protection gaps that existed for platform workers and this convention is a welcome step and promising tool towards addressing these. We look forward to engaging with the details of the convention and its ratification and implementation in the coming weeks and months’.

You can find out more about the Convention here: https://www.ilo.org/resource/conference-paper/ilc/ilc114/final-text-convention-concerning-decent-work-platform-economy-adoption

And more about BIICL’s work on Labour Rights here: https://www.biicl.org/categories/labourrights

BIICL’s previous Insight on the work leading up to the Convention is here: https://www.biicl.org/blog/113/2025-international-labour-conference-first-steps-towards-international-standards-for-platform-work

🚨 Only a few places remaining for our Public International Law Summer School!

📅 13–17 July 2026
📍 BIICL, Russell Square, London and Online

International law continues to shape responses to some of the world's most pressing challenges—from climate change and environmental protection to armed conflict, human rights, international trade, and emerging technologies.

Join us for this five-day summer school and gain a comprehensive introduction to public international law from leading experts at BIICL. Whether you are looking to support further study or enhance your professional development, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.

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."

🚨 The full programme is now available for our Law and Technology Summer School 2026, taking place from 29 June–3 July 2026 at our offices in London.

📖 Check out the full programme here:https://www.biicl.org/documents/13230_summer_school_law_and_tech_26_programme_v1.pdf

Gain a practical understanding of how law responds to rapid technological change. Learn from leading experts, build international connections, and develop the skills needed to navigate AI, digital regulation, and emerging technologies with confidence.

Topics and tutors include:
🔷 AI and Liability
Jacob Turner, Fountain Court Chambers
🔷 Tech, AI and Trust in Dispute Resolution
Prof. Eva Lein , UNIL & BIICL
🔷 Competition Law and Technology
Prof. Andreas Heinemann & Prof. Damiano Canapa, UNIL
🔷 Intellectual Property and AI
Dr Michaela McDonald, Queen Mary University of London & Edoardo Agammenone, Sciences Po, Levante Capital
🔷 Operationalising Digital Rights -
Prof. Michel Cannarsa, Université catholique de Lyon
🔷 Reconceptualising Dispute Resolution in the Digital Age -
Rahim Shamji DDRS, ADR ODR International Limited
🔷 The Future Lawyer: Navigating Law, Technology and Human Judgement
Rahim Shamji DDRS, ADR ODR International

The programme includes a moot court at the Royal Courts of Justice.

🚨 Don't forget to share your views on the future of BIICL by completing our short survey. As a thank you, you will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win one of 3 free places on a course of your choice from our training programme: https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/biicl-survey-2026-non-member

📢 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!

🚨 Last chance to register! Gain a clear, practical understanding of how the law responds to rapid technological change at our Law and Technology Summer School.

📅 29 June - 3 July 2026
📍 BIICL, Russell Square, London

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."