iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The seminar examined 'victory as a process', the role for new international mechanisms like the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, and the competing demands of justice. I am so grateful to our guests for sharing their insights and experience with us this week at @tcddublin.bsky.social.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

It was a privilege to take part in a @tricondublin.bsky.social seminar yesterday on "Peace, Justice, and Accountability in Ukraine: International and Domestic Pathways" with Professors Svitlana Khyliuk and Olha Denkovych from Ukrainian Catholic University (and my colleague @dkennytcd.bsky.social).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Starting at 1 pm (GMT) today, please join the ESIL Interest Group on International Courts and Tribunals for a discussion of Dana Burchardt's recent book: 'The Authority of International Courts: A Behavioural Framework'. Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/25502b...

events.teams.microsoft.com

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

*Call for Papers: The Irish Yearbook of International Law* At a moment of profound anxiety for the international legal system, the Editors of the Irish Yearbook invite article submissions on any area of international law for publication in the next volume. More info here: www.tcd.ie/law/news--ev...

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Well it turns out, yes, some of those jurisdictional problems have probably been solved. To an extent.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

New #ICJ case: DRC accuses Rwanda of violating the Genocide Convention, CERD, CEDAW, and CAT. We've been down this road before; the ICJ dismissed another DRC v Rwanda case back in 2006 for lack of jurisdiction. 20 years later, have those problems been overcome? www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...

icj-cij.org

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

To be clear, these long time limits flow from what South Africa requested. But the Court has a responsibility to manage its docket in a way that balances deference to state preferences with the effective administration of justice. Shorter time limits with the possibility of extensions seems better.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

An irony of these very long time limits means that how Israel acts now (and in the month & years ahead) may generate further evidence that South Africa will draw upon to bolster its case that Israel's actions were undertaken with genocidal intent. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/...

aljazeera.com

Just what are Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza?

Despite an apparent ceasefire, Israel's leaders continue to hint at annexation and ethnic cleansing.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

These time limits in SA v ISR depart substantially from the norm for second-round submissions, which are typically around 6 months per side. Over a decade of busy ICJ practice from 2015-25, the longest amount of time allotted for the reply/rejoinder was 10 months in Iran v US [Treaty of Amity].

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

The #ICJ has fixed exceedingly long time-limits for the second round of written pleadings in South Africa v Israel (SA's reply is due 22 Nov 2027, ISR's rejoinder is due 22 May 2029). This likely means that no judgment on the merits should be expected until late 2030 at the absolute earliest.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

I spoke with @aljazeera.com this week about the latest developments in #Gaza, which increasingly seem overshadowed by the Iran war and Israel's campaign in Lebanon. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/...

aljazeera.com

Just what are Israel’s long-term plans for Gaza?

Despite an apparent ceasefire, Israel's leaders continue to hint at annexation and ethnic cleansing.

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Reposted by Mike Becker

Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Many thanks to everyone who took part in last Friday's New Voices in International Law workshop at @tcddublin.bsky.social, generously supported by @tricondublin.bsky.social. A fitting capstone to my friend Christiane Ahlborn's tenure with us at TCD, my collaborator in all things international law.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

And of course to John Manderscheid for photos (while also managing to present a paper).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Special thanks to @pearceclancy.bsky.social and Inji Mammadli, Metha Ramadita & Blair Somerville for all of the organizing work, plus our great commentators @maeveorourke.bsky.social, @seanmacr.bsky.social, Noelle Higgins, and @suryaroy.bsky.social & our keynote speaker @marylawlorhrds.bsky.social.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Great discussion! I almost felt like I was there.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Some comments from me on how international law has largely failed to restrain US foreign policy under Donald Trump, from tariffs and boat strikes to the Maduro operation in Venezuela and the ongoing war in Iran. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/...

aljazeera.com

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

And the chapter by Benedict Kingsbury from the Cambridge Companion to International Law that inspired this year's workshop theme is accessible here: cdm21069.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...

cdm21069.contentdm.oclc.org

CONTENTdm

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

The call for abstracts is here: esil-sedi.eu/wp-content/u...

esil-sedi.eu

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

The ESIL Interest Group on International Courts and Tribunals invites abstract proposals for its pre-ESIL conference workshop in Malaga on 3 Sept 2026 on the theme of "Conflicts before Courts: Revisiting ‘Uneven Judicialization in Global Order’ Fifteen Years On". The deadline is 31 March 2026.

esil-sedi.eu

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Very interesting to see an intervention aligned with the respondent state (which has not been typical in the so-called “mass intervention” cases so far).

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Reposted by Mike Becker

Shane Darcy @shanedarcy.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Applications currently being accepted for the Megan Fairlie Scholarships for the Summer School on the International Criminal Court. Takes place online 8-11 June 2026 @uniofgalway.bsky.social Deadline for application is 1 March 2026. see: universityofgalwayichr.clr.events/event/139679

universityofgalwayichr.clr.events

Summer School on the International Criminal Court 2026

Welcome The 26th annual Summer School on the International Criminal Court which will be hosted online by the Irish Centre for Human Rights takes place from 8-11 June 2026. This is the premier summer s...

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Round 1 of #TheGambia v #Myanmar saw a sustained attack by Myanmar on the credibility of UN fact-finding reports. The situation underscores the potential value in the ICJ hearing directly from the fact-finders, an issue I discussed on @ejiltalk.bsky.social in 2019. www.ejiltalk.org/the-challeng...

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Reposted by Mike Becker

Adil Haque @adhaque.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Before the ICJ began its public hearings in Gambia v. Myanmar, I planned to write a technical piece about the role of party presentation in the Court's genocide cases. To my surprise, it turns out that the whole case may turn on it. My latest @justsecurity.org

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Many thanks to my colleague Professor Mark Bell for organizing this important and timely discussion on recent US actions in and around #Venezuela and their implications for human rights, accountability, and the rule-of-law. Thanks also to the @tlrhub.bsky.social for hosting this event.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

It was a real privilege to serve as the discussant for a great talk by Rick Lorenz of the Public International Law & Policy Group yesterday at @tcddublin.bsky.social: "Murder on the High Seas:? The Legal and Ethical Implications of US Attacks on Alleged Drug Traffickers".

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Rohingya case: This afternoon's argument by Arsalan Suleman of @foleyhoag.bsky.social for #TheGambia has been a devastating presentation of hateful & genocidal rhetoric attributable to the leadership of Myanmar. Not easy to listen to, as intended. Important for anyone unfamiliar with the context.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Reichler: Giving weight to fact-finding reports is not a delegation of duty (as Myanmar argues) but in fact *is* how the ICJ can exercise its fact-finding responsibility. I think this turns on the Court's approach & reiterate my view that the ICJ could benefit from hearing directly from the FFM.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Reichler now dissecting Myanmar's (predictable) reasons to disregard the FFM reports: i.e. that Myanmar did not participate (but this was Myanmar's choice; it repeatedly refused to cooperate or engage). (You can probably think of other disputes where these types of arguments will be made.)

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Reichler makes the key point: reports do not merit weight automatically because they are UN reports, but because they satisfy the indicia for reliability the Court has set out in its case law. (Not clear this is an issue the intervening states can properly weigh in on though!)

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Yes, I believe they announced at the start that the written submissions would be made available on the website later today (including implementation reports on the provisional measures, which is something new).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Reichler also making the case that the UN FFM was a state-of-the-art inquiry body. In my view (having studied many inquiry bodies, this is not far-fetched. The FFM reports go out of their way to explain methodology & working methods. Doesn't mean they are unassailable but they reflect serious care.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Let's wait to see how Myanmar itself frames its position on third-party fact-finding reports.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Fascinating to learn that Myanmar's position (per The Gambia) is that UN reports carry ZERO weight & the Court could only rely on (non-existent) findings by other courts. This is an untenable position and not consistent at all with the Court's case law (as Reichler is making clear).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

For anyone interested in the UN FFM: ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies.... As Reichler explains, the FFM's work makes up just part of the many reports from UN bodies and NGOs that The Gambia has put into the record. Plus signed witness statements (something the ICJ is often not wild about).

ohchr.org

UN Human Rights Office

Protecting family unity through safe, regular migration builds stronger, more cohesive societies.Read the story

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Rohingya case: At the start of the afternoon session (12 Jan), Paul Reichler for The Gambia to address a topic near-and-dear to me: the evidentiary weight to be accorded to third-party fact-finding reports (in this case, the UN FFM on Myanmar). t.co/pnoaDaigRs

t.co

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/leiden-journal-of-international-law/article/recent-developments-in-reliance-upon-thirdparty-factfinding-at-the-international-court-of-justice/0DFFA66A788C304007...

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

But I think his effort to show key differences with facts in Bosnia was more effective than w/Croatia, where ICJ found controversially that Serb policy of ethnic cleansing actually undermined genocidal intent. The Gambia likely needs to do more to explain how Tatmadaw policy/actions were different.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Making extensive use of the FFM report, Paul Reichler is handing the ICJ several ways to distinguish situation in Myanmar from those in Bosnia & Croatia. These are necessary building blocks for the ICJ to adhere to its demanding standard while getting to a different outcome.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This is a prudent strategy in many ways. I've said before that The Gambia's main task is to show the ICJ how its own test can be met here. But doubling-down on the Court's past approach depends on a shared understanding of what that test means (namely re the 'only reasonable inference' test).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Rohingya case: Paul Reichler making clear that #TheGambia is not asking #ICJ to repudiate its past approach to establishing genocidal intent and will show that the facts here (in support of genocidal intent) are stronger than in the Bosnia and Croatia cases (where the ICJ did not find such intent).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Interesting. Do you have work on this that you could point me to?

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Understood, but I disagree that this legitimizes the junta. A scenario where the case cannot proceed seems like a worse outcome (I've also written about this before, in the comments section here: www.ejiltalk.org/is-the-icj-a...).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Also remarkable that #Myanmar has shown up in the Great Hall of Justice at all. At a moment when states, big & small, seem willing to treat 'international niceties' as totally dispensable, it is at least something that the junta is continuing to participate in a legal process at the highest level.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Rohingya case: The Gambia is coming out very strong here (in the person of @philippesands.bsky.social) to make the case that a finding of genocidal intent is not precluded by the existence of parallel state objectives (and invoking Ireland's declaration here specifically to underline the point).

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This should make for a very interesting cross-examination. But also interesting that #TheGambia is presenting a *legal* expert, with very substantial military experience, rather that someone with non-legal expertise. The implications for establishing genocidal intent seem clear, however.

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Mike Becker @mikebecker.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

#Rohingya case: Very interesting to learn that the sole expert to be called by #TheGambia next week at the #ICJ is Prof. Michael Newton from Vanderbilt Law School, with testimony on how the 2016-17 clearance operations cannot reasonably be called counterterrorism. law.vanderbilt.edu/bio/michael-...

law.vanderbilt.edu

Biography

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