Bill Bowring

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Overview

Professor Bill Bowring teaches human rights and international law at Birkbeck College, University of London. His first degree was in Philosophy, from the University of Kent. He has been at Birkbeck since 2006. He previously taught at University of East London, Essex University and London Metropolitan University. As a practising barrister since 1974, he has represented applicants before the European Court of Human Rights in many cases since 1992, especially against Turkey and Russia. He has acted as a consultant and expert for the United Nations, Council of Europe, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), European Union and the UK Government. He is the founder in 2003 and a member of the board of European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC). He has over 130 publications on topics of international law, human rights, minority rights, Russian law and philosophy. His latest book is Law, Rights and Ideology in Russia: Landmarks in the Destiny of a Great Power (Routledge 2013). He is President of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH), with members in 21 European countries. On 16 October 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).

Highlights

  • Bill Bowring: Law, Rights and Ideology in Russia: Landmarks in the Destiny of a Great Power (Abingdon, Routledge, 2013)
  • Bill Bowring: The Degradation Of The International Legal Order?: The Rehabilitation Of Law And The Possibility Of Politics (Abingdon: Routledge Cavendish, 2008)

Qualifications

  • Barrister, Middle Temple, 1974
  • BA, Philosophy, University of Kent, 1970

Web profiles

Visiting posts

Honours and awards

Research

Research interests

  • Human Rights, Minority Rights, International Law, Law of the USSR, Former Soviet Union and Russia, Marxism

Teaching

Supervision

I have supervised several PhD students to successful completion on topics within my research interests. Since 2014:

Dr Federica Prina, cultural and language rights in Russia

Dr Ahmed Khayre, human rights protection in Somalia

Dr Cornelia Klocker, collective punishment and human rights law

Dr Erdem Ertürk, recognition in international law

Dr Naheed Ghauri, islamic law, Muslim Councils, and UK law

Dr Umezulike Chisom Cynthia, the human rights of the anorexic body

Current doctoral researchers

  • AYSE KURUL
  • CRINA MORTEANU
  • MERCEDES MALCOMSON
  • MOHAMMAD ALFARAJ
  • NATALIA DELGADO BERESI
  • TINA HARTLAND-SWANN

Doctoral alumni

  • DYLAN VAN HOUCKE
  • NAHEED GHAURI
  • CHISOM UMEZULIKE
  • JENNIFER NELLER
  • SAID AZIZ
  • CORNELIA KLOCKER

Teaching

I teach “Public International Law and the Use of Force” and “International Criminal Justice” to undergraduates; and “Issues in International Law and Human Rights”, “International Rights of Minorities”, and “Taking a Case to the European Court of Human Rights” to Postgraduates

Teaching modules

  • Issues in International Law and Human Rights (LADD028S7)
  • International Rights of Minorities (LADD056S7)
  • Public International Law and the Use of Force (LADD058H6)
  • Constitutional Law in Practice: Regional Perspectives (LADD067S7)
  • Issues in International Law and Human Rights (Intensive) (LADD315S7)
  • International Criminal Justice (LALA109H6)
  • Law, Social Justice and Inequalities: Contemporary challenges and debates (LALA229N0)
  • Perspectives on Political Economy (LALW064S7)
  • Critical Methods in Law & Society Research (LALW065S7)

Publications

Article

Book

Book Section

Conference Item

Monograph

Other

Community

Outreach

I am President of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH), with members in 21 European countries

I am International Secretary of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers

I am Founder and Board Member of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC)

I was from 1996 to 2021 a Trustee of the Redress Trust

I am a Founder and Executive Committee Member of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales

I am a Trustee of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights