International Bar Association: Global Insight podcast

Ten years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU, leading to a sustained period of upheaval and uncertainty. A decade on, Brexit continues to affect everything from defence and security to the economy, tech, AI and the rule of law. This Global Insight podcast assesses the UK's relationship with the EU, which the UK government has recently sought to ‘reset’. With: Benjamin Martill, Associate Fellow in t...

The independence of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) from political interference is central to the rule of law in America. Critics argue that, during President Trump’s second term, this principle has come under pressure on several fronts, including allegations that the President has pressed the department to pursue cases against his opponents for personal or political reasons.  Concerns have als...

The US government’s decision to issue waivers for sanctions on Russian oil in March has proven highly controversial and at odds with the position of the EU and the UK for example, who have insisted that despite the global economic situation it is crucial to maintain pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine via sanctions. This IBA Global Insight podcast explores the issues.

Chile Eboe Osuji has for 30 years stood at the forefront of international law and justice. He has served as a judge of the International Criminal Court as well as prosecution counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and on the Special Court for Sierra Leone, among other notable positions, during that time. Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986, he now sits as a judge of the Caribbean...

From sustained attacks on the judiciary to a crisis in legal aid and the administration of justice, the rule of law is under significant pressure in the UK. It has therefore never been more important to protect and strengthen it, says a recent report entitled ‘Rule of law: holding the line between anarchy and tyranny’, from the House of Lords Constitution Committee. This Global Insight podcast hea...

In this Global Insight podcast, Lord Richard Hermer KC, the Attorney General for England and Wales, discusses the essential role of international law in a world of rising geopolitical tensions, the future of the ECHR and the criminal justice system, and the drive to educate young people and the wider public about the rule of law. 

Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC over an edit of a speech he made on 6 Jan 2021 has raised legal and ethical questions, and has brought a focus on the potentially chilling effects on freedom of speech. Considering the issues in this Global Insight podcast are: Nick Pollard, former Head of Sky News; former Chairman, UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) Content Committee...

While US President Donald Trump and his administration’s foreign policy creates debate over international law and conduct, his unorthodox behaviour both domestically and internationally has also received criticism in terms of disregard for ethics and for presidential norms. From profiting from crypto investments while being responsible for the rules governing the sector, to seeking to use his powe...

As AI increasingly becomes ingrained in many aspects of everyday life, there’s a danger that important safeguards and risks are sidelined. In this Global Insight podcast, IBA Multimedia Journalist Alice Johnson speaks to leading international human rights lawyer and technology law specialist, Susie Alegre, about human rights concerns, regulations and why AI can’t solve all the problems of the crim...

The approach to international institutions, cooperation and development from the current US administration has significant implications for areas such as soft power and global justice. The speakers discussing the issues in this Global Insight podcast, taken from an IBA webinar earlier this year, include those with senior experience in previous US administrations. With: Beth Van Schaack, Senior Fel...

Today’s economic and political climate presents the BRICS countries with a number of challenges and opportunities – from internal cooperation, to BRICS Pay, to navigating relations with the US. Considering the issues in this Global Insight podcast are: Michael Diaz, Global Managing Partner, Diaz Reus; Mihaela Papa, Director of Research leading the BRICS Lab, MIT Centre for International Studies; a...

After over 20 weeks of hearings, the High Court in London recently ruled that the UK government acted lawfully in continuing to supply F-35 jet parts to Israel through a global pool. While acknowledging the parts could be used in ways that breach international humanitarian law, the judges said the issue is one for the executive, ‘not for the courts’. The case, brought by Palestinian NGO Al-Haq, ch...

Digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs emerged as disruptors, designed to challenge traditional financial systems and sidestep conventional regulation. But, as these technologies have developed, so too have legal frameworks. At the end of 2024, MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) entered into force in the EU, and the US House of Representatives is set to consider three crypto-rela...

From enormous political donations and influence on US government policy to dominance in shaping narratives on social media,  Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been the most prominent of a number of billionaires and companies impacting the course of democracy and the rule of law. In this podcast, Mark Stephens CBE, Co-Chair of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, George Havenhand, Senior Legal R...

Laws around beneficial ownership – identifying the ultimate owners of corporate entities - are intended to be a tool to provide transparency and to combat corruption, terrorist financing and other human rights abuses. However, such legislation and related proposals have been criticised by some as disproportionate and sometimes contradictory to other rights. Meanwhile, legal professionals must incr...

Radical changes in US policy under the presidency of Donald Trump, from foreign aid to global trade and beyond, are having a profound impact on the rest of the world. This Global Insight podcast explores the implications for the rule of law, international relations and global security. With: Mary O’Connell, Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law, Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame, Indiana...

Afghanistan: confronting gender apartheid The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the sudden withdrawal of Western forces, implementing an interpretation of strict Sharia law that has especially affected women and girls. Since then, international relations have worsened. In early 2025, the ICC sought arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over gender-based persecution, prompting Afg...

The need for financial assistance for developing nations to address the effects of the climate crisis and to transition to low-carbon economies continues to grow. But the specifics on how much and how to implement this have been the subject of intense negotiation. At the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), what’s known as the New Collective Quantified Goal was agreed on after negotiators ag...

The EU’s AI Act came into force in 2024 and will regulate Artificial Intelligence systems in the European Union based on which ‘risk category’ they fit into. Its provisions will mostly become applicable over the next two years. The Act is far from the only piece of legislation or agreement covering AI in the EU, with others including the updated Product Liability Directive, a proposed AI Liability...

In April 2024, a group of older Swiss women successfully argued before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that the Swiss government was failing to take sufficient action on climate change, violating their human rights as a disproportionately affected group under the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the Swiss parliament rejected the judgment in Klimaseniorinnen v Switzerland ,...

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election that saw Donald Trump become President offered shocking revelations. As US citizens prepare to vote in the presidential election, with Trump once more a presidential candidate, Global Insight assesses the Mueller investigation, its report and the bearing on the rule of law in the US, through to today....

Following a divided vote by its member states in October, the EU can now impose extra tariffs of up to 35.3% on electric vehicles – EVs – imported from China for the next five years. The vote follows moves by the US Biden administration earlier in 2024 to raise tariffs on Chinese computer chips, EVs, clean energy technologies and metals imported from China – part of an ongoing series of measures f...

In mid-2024, the UK enacted a law quashing the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters after many were wrongly prosecuted for theft and fraud due to accounting errors in the software – Horizon – used by their employer, the Post Office. This scandal, alongside other recent controversies, has placed the spotlight on IT outsourcing projects and the potential pitfalls, both for buyers and for the p...

More than 60 national elections have already taken place or will do so during 2024 – almost a third of them in Asia. Given its significant presence on the world stage, India’s election has been one of the most closely watched. The country’s lengthy voting process draws to a conclusion in early June in what’s expected to be a victory for incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Jana...

The Council of Europe recently voted to use seized Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction. The US House of Representatives has approved billions of dollars in aid to help Ukraine combat Russia's invasion, also authorising the US government to take frozen Russian central bank assets held in US jurisdictions to help rebuild the country. In April, Ukraine’s Register of Damage started taking...