Law Summer School

Colleagues from the School of Law will welcome all to the Summer School, introducing our 7-day schedule and welcoming our attendees and guest speakers.

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Steffen Kroschwald

Organisation: Pforzheim University

Session Title: AI & Telematics – Consumer Technology Between Trust and Legislation

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) in vehicle telematics offers innovative consumer benefits, from adaptive insurance tariffs to biometric driver recognition. Yet, it also raises risks - bias, exclusion, and opaque decision-making. This lecture explores European legislator’s response, balancing technological progress with consumer protection through transparency, accountability, and regulatory safeguards for trustworthy consumer AI with the example of AI-based telematics.

Speaker Bio: Prof. Dr. Steffen, Pforzheim LL.M. is a Professor for IT-Law and EU/International Business Law at Pforzheim University (Germany). He has also worked for 6 years as a data protection lawyer and officer for Smart Mobility at Porsche (Stuttgart, Germany). He holds a Ph.D. in Data Protection Law (Cloud Computing) and is a Member of the Law Industry Advisory Board (LIAB) at Bradford School of Law.

Speaker: Magdalena Ackermann

Organisation: Secretariat of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (CSIPM)

Session Title: Advancing guidance towards the right to adequate food; what role for the United Nations Committee on World Food Security?

Abstract: Multilateralism based on a human rights framework seems to be under deep fragmentation. However, the United Nations Committee on World Food Security and Nutrition (UN CFS) still provides a unique inclusive platform for intergovernmental processes for negotiating international policy guidelines for the progressive realization of the Right to Food. This presentation will reflect upon the importance of strengthening such a space for enshrining the right to food in policy and legislative frameworks at all levels.

Speaker Bio: Magdalena Ackermann is the co-coordinator of the Secretariat of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (CSIPM) for relations with the UN Committee on World Food Security.

Speaker: Gbenga Oduntan

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: Space Weaponisation and Militarisation in the Context of 21st Century Space Law: Imperatives of Developments in the Ukraine-Russia and Other Emergent Conflicts

Abstract: The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, involving NATO and other global actors, represents a pivotal moment in the history of space warfare. It arguably constitutes the world’s first comprehensive space war, as all parties involved either possess independent space capabilities or leverage advanced space assets for military purposes, including cyberspace operations. A striking and perhaps unforeseen dimension of this conflict is the role of private space assets, which have inadvertently contributed to the militarisation of outer space.

This talk examines the legal and political challenges posed by the integration of space technologies into modern warfare, assessing them in the context of existing space law and international legal frameworks. It critically analyses the dual-use nature of space technologies and their implications for international law and governance.

Additionally, the talk reviews key proposals by states and scholars seeking to address the legality and constraints of space militarisation and weaponisation. Ultimately, it argues for the preservation of space as a domain of peace by resisting the gradual erosion of legal norms that could lead to its full-scale militarisation.

Speaker Bio: See staff profile at https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/goduntan/. 

Speaker: Dr Hartini Saripan

Organisation: Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia

Session Title: Contract Law in the Digital Age: Navigating Malaysia's Digital Contracting Landscape

Abstract: The rapid advancement of digital technologies is reshaping contract law, challenging established legal doctrines while introducing new possibilities for efficiency and automation. Smart contracts powered by blockchain, AI-assisted contract formation, and automated enforcement mechanisms are no longer theoretical constructs but emerging realities in commercial transactions. However, these innovations raise fundamental legal questions. Are traditional principles of offer, acceptance, and consideration still relevant in self-executing agreements? How should liability be assigned when AI-driven contracts malfunction or produce unintended consequences?

This talk critically examines Malaysia’s approach to these evolving challenges, assessing how its legal framework is moving towards shaping contract law for the digital age. As digital transactions become more prevalent, Malaysia is progressively adapting its laws, policies, and regulatory approaches to accommodate new technologies while maintaining legal certainty. Efforts to modernize contract law, integrate digital infrastructure, and develop legal safeguards reflect an ongoing shift towards a more technology-friendly legal environment. How can Malaysia ensure that its legal framework remains agile and responsive to the complexities of digital contracting? What strategies are being implemented to facilitate innovation while safeguarding contractual integrity and enforceability?

By analyzing key legal developments, policy initiatives, and comparative perspectives, this session explores the opportunities and challenges of digital contracting in Malaysia. It aims to foster a critical discourse on how legal frameworks must evolve to ensure that contracts remain enforceable, equitable, and secure in an increasingly automated world.

Speaker Bio: Dr Hartini Saripan is an Associate Professor and legal advisor at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia holding an extensive 21-year tenure at the institution. Her academic journey commenced at the International Islamic University Malaysia, culminating in a Ph.D. in Law from UiTM.

Her initial scholarly forays into cyber law, with an emphasis on electronic commerce and digital signature law, laid the groundwork for her respected position in the field of technology law. Her expertise soon evolved to encompass cutting-edge domains such as robotic law and Artificial Intelligence (AI), areas where she is deeply committed to sharing her knowledge and insights. Her acumen has led to consultancy roles with key institutions such as CyberSecurity Malaysia and the National Centre for Governance, Integrity, and Anti-Corruption, where she addresses pivotal issues in Law, Technology, Privacy, Ethics, and Integrity. Most recently, her contribution is instrumental in a strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Learning, aimed at optimizing governance frameworks for polytechnics and community colleges in Malaysia.

Speaker: Dr Francis Okanigbuan

Organisation: Liverpool John Moores University

Session Title: Regulating Directors’ duties in corporate acquisitions: A critical analysis of the role of shareholders in target companies.

Abstract: This paper critically examines the relationship between shareholders and directors of a company that is the subject of a takeover bid. It argues that despite the extensive protection that corporate law offers to shareholders, shareholders of companies whose shares are the subject of a takeover bid still undesirably rely on takeover regulations to protect their interests.

Speaker: Dr Ashit Kumar Srivastava

Organisation: Dharmashastra National Law University-Jabalpur

Session Title: Indian approach towards Artificial Intelligence Regulation: A view from ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ Approach

Abstract: Though a late blossom, India is rapidly gaining traction in Artificial Intelligence Regulation. The entire world (including India) has been exploring and re-exploring the possible avenues for subtle regulations on AI. In this parlance, India has adopted a courageous, sectoral, and unique approach on the lines of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

Speaker Bio: Dr.Ashit Kumar Srivastava is an Assistant Professor of Law at Dharmashastra National Law University-Jabalpur. Previously, he had worked at National Law University-Odisha. Dr. Srivastava has offered courses on Constitutional Law, Data Protection Law and Law Technology. He recently had his first authored book coming out titled ‘Personal Data Protection Rights’, published by Lexis Nexis, available at https://store.lexisnexis.in/personal-data-protection-rights-ed1-pb. 

Speaker: Dr. Peerapon Jaderojananont

Organisation: National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand

Session Title: The Return of Thai Cultural Heritage: From Legal Challenges To the Way Forward

Abstract: Thailand adopts its cultural property law by applying the concept of cultural nationalism embedded in the 1970 UNESCO Convention in order to pursue the return of Thai cultural property back to home. However, recent cases of repatriation reflect that Thailand was disadvantaged via the legal concept under the UNESCO Convention and encountered difficulties, even though its illegally removed cultural property was eventually repatriated. Why? and how?

Speaker: Dr. Ramani Garimella

Organisation: South Asian University, New Delhi

Session Title: Addressing Human Rights concerns in Climate Change events

Abstract: Legal responses to climate change are in an evolutionary phase. The focus of the climate change law (UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the 2015 Paris Agreement) has been mostly on mitigation and state obligations, ignoring the human and societal implications of climate change. A paradigm shift in appreciating the concern from a human rights perspective has been necessitated by the inability of negotiation-based international law advancements to highlight the human vulnerability arising from the concern. The Paris Agreement illustrates an important first step towards recognition of linkages between climate change and human rights.

A human rights-based approach (HRBA) in the context of climate change has been advocated because:

• The notion of human rights modifies the climate change discourse from a state-centric point of view to emphasising the rights and circumstances of both people and communities while providing a minimal level of protection.
• By enhancing transparent, participatory and accountable governance and giving adequate consideration to multi-layered vulnerability, such as the specific requirements of protection among girls, women, indigenous peoples, and other individuals who may be disproportionately negatively impacted by climate change, the application of human rights standards will draw attention to the concerns of the most vulnerable and marginalised communities.

However, the recognition would have lasting impact only if the States are extensively engaged in executing their commitments derived from such recognition. NHRIs could be important in promoting and overseeing the effective implementation of international human rights standards in the context of climate change, especially climate mobility.

The talk would highlight the key components of a HR-based approach towards addressing CC-related events, especially from a gender lens.

Speaker: Sylvanus Tahir

Organisation: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria

Session Title: The Burden of proving the Offence of Money Laundering: Frustrations of Prosecutors in Nigeria

Speaker: Dr. Nur Ezan Rahmat

Organisation: UiTM, Malaysia

Session Title: Recent Developments in Malaysia's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Landscape

Abstract: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Malaysia has seen significant developments, with several emerging issues shaping its current landscape. Recent reforms have addressed key aspects of arbitration, adjudication, mediation and negotiation. These developments reflect Malaysia's dynamic ADR landscape, marked by technological integration, legal reforms, capacity building, and the handling of complex international disputes.

Speaker: Zubair Abbassi

Organisation: Royal Holloway University of London

Session Title: Legal Education & Research in the Age of GenAI

Abstract: This session examines the transformative role of GenAI models like ChatGPT, NotebookLM, and DeepSeek in legal education and research. Through practical examples from private law, it evaluates the benefits and challenges of integrating GenAI into legal learning and scholarship.

Speaker: Ridwan Oloyede

Organisation: Tech Hive Advisory

Session Title: Emerging Trends and the Future of AI Governance in Africa

Abstract: African countries are gradually shaping AI regulation through diverse approaches: national policies or strategies, data protection interventions, proposed laws, and sector-specific rules, alongside the AU's overarching AI strategy. This presentation will explore these emerging trends and developments in AI governance across the continent. Furthermore, it will discuss the future direction of regulating AI and other emerging technologies on the continent.

Speaker: Dr. Wan Rosalili Wan Rosli

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: Stalking via Artificial Intelligence: The Evolution of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence

Abstract: Stalking is a longstanding crime that has evolved through time. In the current digital climate where governments, businesses and people are ultra-dependent on technology and the internet, risks and vulnerabilities are amplified via advanced technologies. Emerging technology works as a double-edged sword where users are subjected to the risk of victimisation, especially stalking in cyberspace.

Cyberstalking has been proven to lead to more heinous crimes such as cyber fraud, identity theft and hacking through data mining, profiling and social engineering. It also presents significant risks to the safety, privacy and well-being of individuals especially as the Internet is deeply integrated into everyday lives, and the consequences of such crime have become more severe.

The use of new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence and machine learning has also aggravated the situation, where victims are now exposed to various vulnerabilities that open new pathways for stalkers to commit such crimes. Given the severe implications of cyberstalking, this research will examine the nature of the crime, the use of artificial intelligence in committing stalking and the legal response towards the crime. 

Speaker Bio: See staff profile: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/wrwanrosli/. 

Speaker: Joe Nahal-Macdonald

Organisation: Edmonds Marshall McMahon, London

Session Title: Asset Recovery – an Introduction and Emerging Issue

Abstract: The area of ‘Asset Recovery’ used to be two discrete areas of domestic law up until the 1990’s.

In criminal law, matters over the seizure and recovery of criminal property seized by the police date back to the Police Property Act 1897, and evolved slowly up until the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act (‘PACE’) provided additional powers. Thereafter, successive Criminal Justice Acts in 1988, 1993 and the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 further shaped and codified the powers that police and prosecutors could rely upon.

Eventually the 2002 Act (‘PoCA’) gave us the broad approach we have today: that authorities need to prosecute, convict and then confiscate before they can take the value of an asset attributable to a criminal; or alternatively, seek (civil recovery) via forfeiture if they are less sure of the specific type of criminality, but can otherwise prove to a court that a specific asset is borne of the fruits of criminal acts.

Those powers have been expanded rapidly since 2017 with an increasing range of draconian investigative and asset recovery tools added to PoCA, to combat an increasingly savvy and technologically sophisticated criminal fraternity, and ever-changing world. Separately, approaches to asset recovery within civil law have remained largely based on established and well-trodden civil principles, fit to the specific facts of the precise loss, where the asset is held and how it might best be returned by the court. Those principles have included aspects of tortuous liability, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, fraud, mistake, trust, and hidden commissions. With the introduction of specific chapters within PoCA for the provision of ‘civil recovery’ within the Act, the areas of civil and criminal law became intertwined, and not always with the clearest of results.

Indeed, it was once believed that since 2003 almost a third of the cases reaching the House of Lords/UKSC had an asset recovery element, such was the piecemeal, cutting edge and often capricious nature of the approach in the courts.

Thus, until relatively recently, there was no such thing as an asset recovery lawyer – it was seen by many as niche or ancillary to the criminal law – not exactly criminal per se, not exactly civil, with an odd mixture of land law, property law, trusts, corporate law, and other principles all required. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for lawyers to specialise in asset recovery – and in many respects, there is little distinction between criminal and civil law per se – it is more a matter of remedy depending on the specific circumstances.

The lecture will seek to outline the development of law in this area; the roles of key stakeholders; and explore some of the key emerging themes- most notably to do with the recovery of crypto-related assets by civil recovery, in which the speaker is involved in cutting edge.

We will also examine the socio-legal international aspects, which are highly topical in the changing geopolitical landscape, where tension between state powers and corporate deregulation may interact with asset recovery on an international level.

Speaker: Dr Ilias Kapsis

Organisation: City University, London

Session Title: Regulation of DeFi and DAOs : issues and potential solutions

Abstract: The session will focus on the main issues arising from the efforts to regulate DeFi and DAOs. International standard-setters including FATF, FSB and IOSCO have issued relevant guidelines. The session will review the main elements of these guidelines and discuss what lies ahead for the regulation of the most challenging DLT applications.

Speaker: Dr Pedi Obani

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: Strengthening Water Security through Environmental Legal Education: Role of Faith Based Approaches

Abstract: The protection of water resources is a sacred and important aspect of culture and religious practices. Given the impacts of pressing water scarcity on cultural and religious observances in various countries, the session examines the role of faith-based environmental law education in advancing water management. It examines contestations and synergies between water and environmental law principles and faith-based values, the regional and global initiatives on faith-based approaches to environmental protection, and approaches for integrating faith-based values in curriculum development for environmental law education.

Speaker Bio: See staff profile: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/pobani/. 

Speakers: Muhamad Babar, Sheetal Baradwaj and Pradeep Janardanan

Organisations: Consultant, ACFCS MENA Chapter Board Member, Financial Crime Compliance

Session Title: The Compliance Shift: Navigating Innovation and Sustainability Across Regions

Abstract: This lecture explores the evolving compliance landscape in financial services, beyond regulations, to include shifting products and attitudes of service providers and end-users. It compares regional differences, highlighting unique regulatory and market influences. The discussion addresses the impact of digital assets, like cryptocurrencies, and new payment technologies, such as blockchain systems, on compliance frameworks. It also examines the rise of ESG-driven products, reflecting sustainability demands. The session illustrates how these elements create a dynamic, interconnected compliance ecosystem, offering insights into global trends within a concise framework.

Speaker Bio: Muhammad Babar holds a proven track record at Visa & MoneyGram and has been instrumental in driving financial innovation, fostering business expansion, and ensuring regulatory compliance. His expertise in AML risk management, digital assets, and strategic partnerships, helps institutions navigate the complex world of financial technology. 

Sheetal is a seasoned Risk & Compliance professional with over 19 years of hands-on experience managing successful Compliance Programs in the MENAT region. She is presently working with one of the largest banks in the New Zealand. She was an approved Compliance Officer & MLRO by the Central Bank of the UAE and Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). As a Subject-Matter Expert, she has served in leadership roles covering various aspects of Regulatory Compliance & Financial Crime Risk, including regulatory audits & thematic reviews. She is an Executive Board Member and Communication Director of ACFCS (Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists, US), MENA Chapter. 

Pradeep is presently working in Bangalore with one of the global leading banks. He has over 18 years of experience in leading and building a Financial Crime Compliance program (FCC) and has expertise in compliance, risk management, and ops performance around Financial Crime Compliance. He has previously worked with Financial institutions in the UAE and did a brief stint in the UK. Over the tenure of his experience, he has worked with multiple European and US Financial Institutions and payment companies in various Financial crime compliance functions like Advisory, Transaction Monitoring, Sanctions, KYC, and Quality Assurance for different regulatory jurisdictions, such as the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and India. He has a PGDM in Finance and Marketing from the School of Communication and Management Studies. In addition to that, he is a Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), and Certified Financial Crime Specialist.

Speaker: Dr Filippo Marchetti

Organisation: University of Westminster & Bocconi University

Session Title: Data governance regimes and outer-space activities: rules for the safe return of data assets under international space law

Abstract: The datafication of human activities has not spared the realm of outer space. From scientific research to surveillance satellites, data continues to play an increasingly important role. However, multilateral legal regimes have struggled to keep pace with technological advancements facilitated by the involvement of new players, and with and the focus shift towards space-enabled commercial activities. In this context, it is essential to explore the data-governance obligations that may arise from existing international space law and identify the gaps that prevent the creation of a safe framework for data generation and transmission.

Speaker Bio: Dr Filippo Marchetti, Senior Lecturer in Law and Technology (University of Westminster, London), Adjunct Professor of International and EU Law (Bocconi University, Milan) is a mature international and EU law expert, Dr Marchetti has provided regulatory advice to multiple international organisations (UNHCR, WHO, ECB, EMA) and teaches law & technology and international & EU law to both law and non-law students. Alongside his academic work, he advises technology start-ups on personal data protection and other regulatory challenges. Dr Marchetti's research interests include the protection of personality rights in international and EU law, space technology law and policy, and the interaction between international law and international relations, especially in the field of economic sanctions.

Speaker: Alan Reid

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: International Law and Undersea Cables

Abstract: Undersea cables are the lifeblood of modern communication networks, notwithstanding developments in satellite space technology. This pivotal backbone of the internet is vulnerable to attack from rogue actors and to accidental damage. Cables can be cut, dredged or caught up in trawler nets and data flowing along the cable can be intercepted. The current international law framework is insufficient to deal with the range of attacks. Both the UN and the EU are looking to improve the legal protection of undersea cables.

Speaker Bio: See staff profile: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/areid/. 

Speaker: Mohamed Bulhaif Alnuaimi

Organisation: Deputy Head of Fraud, UAE

Session Title: Impact of AML Regulations on the Banking Sector in the UAE: Compliance, Risk-Based Approaches, and Reporting Mechanisms

Abstract: This session will focus on:

• Compliance Obligations – UAE AML laws and banking requirements
• Risk-Based Approach – Due diligence and transaction monitoring
• Reporting & Monitoring – Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and FIU
• Challenges & Future Trends – AI, technology, and regulatory developments

Speaker: Rajat Jariwal

Organisation: Trilegal

Session Title: Evolving Trends in Environmental Litigation in India

Abstract: This session explores key trends within litigation in India, specifically in the context of environmental laws, including the judicial recognition of climate rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the rise of PILs in addressing pollution and deforestation, and enforcement challenges. We will also explore through case laws how courts attempt to balance development with ecological conservation and sustainability.

Speaker Bio: Rajat Jariwal, Trilegal, New Delhi, is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration practice in the New Delhi NCR office. He is part of the firm’s environment and climate change practice. He has been practising for the past 17 years before different tribunals and courts, including the National Green Tribunal, various High Courts and the Supreme Court of India. 

Speaker: Nadia Hardman

Organisation: Human Rights Watch

Session Title: The protection of refugee and migrant rights in theory and practice

Abstract: This lecture will cover the basics of refugee and migrant rights protections in law and policy and will demonstrate through a series of case studies the reality of abuses and breaches of international law that refugees and asylum seekers face both inside and at country borders.

Speaker Bio: Nadia Hardman, is a researcher in the Refugee and Migrants Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, and involved in monitoring and documenting human rights abuses against asylum seekers, refugees, and migrant populations. Prior to Human Rights Watch she led the International Rescue Committee’s protection program for Syrian refugees in Lebanon and was based in Mosul, Iraq with the Norwegian Refugee Council working with internally displaced persons (IDPs) between 2017 and 2018.

Nadia has worked with refugee and IDP populations in Myanmar, Thailand and Palestine and was a Program Lawyer for the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute working on rule of law issues in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Egypt and Tajikistan from 2013 to 2015. She is a qualified UK lawyer with a Masters in Human Rights from University College London. Nadia speaks fluent French and Italian.

Speaker: Nithin Ramakrishnan

Organisation: Third World Network

Session Title: WHO Pandemic Agreement: An Overview of Negotiation Positions of Various States and Non-State Actors

Abstract: The WHO Pandemic Agreement, if concluded in the 78th Session of the World Health Assembly by May 2025, will mark one of fastest negotiations in the international treaty making history. This seminar will explore the diverse positions of both states and non-state actors that have influenced the negotiation process. Attendees will gain insights into the initial objectives of WHO Member States, how their positions evolved, and the extent to which their goals were realized as the negotiations progressed.

Speaker Bio: Nithin Ramakrishnan, Third World Network, is a Senior Researcher at Third World Network (TWN), an independent, not-for-profit international research and advocacy organization focused on development issues, developing countries, and North-South affairs. Holding a postgraduate degree in International Law, he actively follows negotiations in various international forums such as the WHO, FAO, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Speaker: Dr Ovo Catherine Imoedemhe

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: Starvation as War Crimes: Gravity Analysis

Abstract: The reports of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that millions of people are at risk of famine and acute food insecurity due to armed conflicts. The implication is that people who may have escaped death by the gun, sword, missiles or other weapons will ultimately die of starvation. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) instruments agree on the prohibition of the use of starvation as method of warfare.

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recognises starvation as war crimes in international armed conflicts (IAC). However, the provision was extended to non-international armed conflicts (NIAC) in 2019. With the ICC’s admissibility criterion of ‘sufficient gravity’, this piece uses the Yemen situation to analyse what may constitute gravity in the deprivation of food, water and medical supplies to populations caught up in armed conflict.

Speaker Bio: See staff profile: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/ocimoedemhe/. 

Speaker: Vicente Paolo B. Yu III

Organisation: Third World Network

Session Title: Global Climate Change Policy and Practice: Lessons from the Frontlines of Multilateral Climate Change Negotiations

Abstract: The lecture will focus on the global climate change negotiations under the United Nations as a case study of the development of international environmental law and policy. Jumping off from a quick discourse on the theory of international negotiations, it will look at the history and actual practice of global climate change negotiations as an example of how theory and practice diverge and converge for purposes of improving global policy making in finding solutions to global public goods distributional problems.

Speaker Bio: Vicente Paolo B. Yu III is currently a Senior Legal Adviser at the Third World Network (Malaysia), a Visiting Fellow at the UN Research Institute for Social Development (Switzerland), a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the International Peace Institute (United States) and an Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (Switzerland). Previously, he served as the Deputy Executive Director of the South Centre (from 2016-2018), the intergovernmental policy research institution of developing countries based in Geneva.

His substantive policy work covers policy and legal advice and capacity building, including on the right to development, international environmental law, international trade policy, international climate change policy, and South-South cooperation. He has been a technical adviser and negotiator for various developing countries and their groups in the UN climate change negotiations since 2007 to the present.

Speaker: Dr Ahmad Ghouri

Organisation: Sussex University

Session Title: State Strategies to Negotiate Transnational Public Private Contracts

Abstract: Transnational public-private contracts facilitate foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries by involving government or state-owned entities. Concession contracts, often favouring foreign companies, have historically led to local exploitation. Developing countries must enhance negotiation transparency and capacity to reclaim sovereignty and ensure contracts deliver both economic and social value.

Speaker: Dr Ajay Kumar

Organisation: University of Bradford

Session Title: The Changing landscape of International Tax Law (Governance)

Abstract: For almost 100 years the international tax practice/s amongst states have remained unchanged and the OECD has been at the forefront of coordinating them. Currently an exercise is underway to redraw or clarify some of those practices, with the possibility for the UN becoming the centre of gravity for such coordination. This lecture looks at the broader efficacy of some of these changes and the limits to some of the proposals under consideration.

Speaker Bio: See staff profile: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/akumar23/. 

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Pradeep Kulshrestha

Organisation: Bennett University, India

Session Title: Independence of Judiciary: A Comparative Analysis of UK, US, and Indian Courts

Abstract: The lecture will focus on the issue of independence of the judiciary in the context of contemporary challenges. With the blurring of boundaries between the different state organs, the separation of powers model is also under strain. The recent examples of the US judiciary's halt on the executive orders issued under the Trump administration, inquiry reports suggesting political pressure on judicial decisions in the UK, and the tussle between executive and judiciary in the matter of judicial appointments in India are all indicative of the challenges that exist in the present day. The lecture would apprise the participants about the peculiar features of the different nations' judicial systems and explore the role of lawyers, academicians, and other stakeholders in addressing these challenges.

The closing ceremony of the Summer School as colleagues from the School of Law wrap things up, reviewing the past 7-days and thank our speakers.