International Law Seminar Honoring Sir Ian Brownlie – London

The Members of Blackstone Chambers and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law are proud to present an afternoon seminar in memory of the late Sir Ian Brownlie CBE QC, Nov. 19, 2010, 1:30-7:00 pm.

Sir Ian Brownlie was a phenomenon in the world of public international law. He was known on the one hand for his academic prowess, with books such as Principles of Public International Law, now in its 7th edition, translated into many languages and referred to as a classic text by international lawyers and judges alike. On the other, Ian was a litigator on the international stage; during 25 years he appeared in more than 40 contentious cases before the International Court of Justice and was an experienced and active arbitrator. He contributed both through his appearances and his writings to the growing reach of international law, to new subject areas and new states and was a member and Chairman of the UN International Law Commission. His interest in human rights is also well documented, as evidenced by the recent issue of the 6th edition of Brownlie’s Documents on Human Rights.

The contributors to this seminar all knew and worked with Ian. They, like him, have an interest in the development of international law and of international human rights law, both in their pure forms and in the developing interface with domestic jurisdictions. The seminar topics, arranged into two panels of speakers, are designed to reflect areas of particular interest to Ian and the contributors will develop themes and encourage debate which Ian would have welcomed, both as a practitioner and an academic. The afternoon culminates with a talk by Judge Sir Christopher Greenwood, the British judge on the International Court of Justice.