Law in Context

The word “genocide” feels like it has always been part of our vocabulary. But do we really understand what we mean when we use it? In everyday conversation, the term is often used to describe mass killings, widespread suffering, and horrific atrocities, especially in the context of armed conflict. Yet in law, genocide has a highly specific and demanding definition, shaped by a distinct legal and h...

This special episode was recorded as part of the Ideas Alive strand of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words , one of the largest literary festivals in the North of England, celebrating books, words, and ideas. Ideas Alive is a series of podcasts by academics from the University of Sheffield talking about their fascinating research. In this episode, we explore how stories of crime and justice are to...

In this episode we unpack the UK Supreme Court’s recent judgment in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers —a landmark case that raises urgent questions about the legal definitions of ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ under the Equality Act 2010. Joined by Dr Sandra Duffy (University of Bristol), Dr Surabhi Shukla (University of Sheffield), and Dr SJ Cooper-Knock (University of Sheffield), we explore the legal r...

The Trump Administration is back. And so are their signature trade policies. 'Tariffs' must be the buzzword of the year so far. But let’s be honest – even those of us that work on these subjects need to google things to fully understand what’s going on. To help us understand, we are joined in this episode by Greg Messenger , Professor of Trade Law & Policy at the Law School of the Univ...

What do recent court rulings mean for the future of climate action? How are international legal bodies shaping the fight against climate change? In our first episode for 2025 , we join forces with the ⁠Sheffield Centre for International and European Law (SCIEL)⁠ to explore the most pressing legal developments in climate law. Together with Malgosia Fitzmaurice (QMUL), Ivano Alogna (BIICL), and Agne...

Curious about how international law navigates the intersection of modern elections and digital technology? In Part II of our Elections Special, recorded for the  ⁠⁠⁠ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024⁠⁠⁠ , we delve into the legal frameworks that address electoral interference through cyber-operations and targeted digital campaigns, the use of personal data in electoral campaigns and algorithmic t...

Are you still confused about how the US electoral system works? Have you been invited to an election night party by your American friends but not quite sure what makes swing states such a big deal? Are you trying to keep up with the latest on the presidential candidates and the global debates that will shape the outcome and aftermath of the election? Are you curious about fake news, online influen...

From the French Revolution and the women's suffrage movement to the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, social movements and protests have served as catalysts for some of the most important events in world history. Still today, social and political change is sought through local and global collective action, such as the ‘Occupy’ or the LGBTQ+ rights movement, the Black Lives Matter, the R...

This episode discusses the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill , which was introduced by the UK government in December 2023 and is currently discussed in the House of Lords. It unpacks the legal issues that arise from the Bill from an immigration, human rights, and public law perspective, and discuss the politics of asylum in the UK and their practical implications for migrants and asyl...

This episode of our rapid response event and podcast series unpacks the recent judgments of the International Court of Justice (available here and here ) in the disputes initiated by Ukraine against Russia in respect of the latter’s military operations in Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, under the Genocide Convention, the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and the Convention on...

On January 26 the International Court of Justice handed down its order on provisional measures in the case brought by South Africa challenging Israel’s military operations in Gaza under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. In this first episode of our new rapid response event and podcast series, we are joined by Dr Awol Allo , Senior Lecturer in Law, and Dr  Em...