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Myra Williamson

Senior Lecturer of Law and Convenor of the BA in Law, University of Waikato
I hold a BA in Politics and an LLB Hons (First Class) from the University of Otago (I graduated in May 1997). I also hold 3 post-graduate qualifications: an LLM Hons (First Class) and a PhD (conferred 2008) in law from the University of Waikato, plus a tertiary teaching qualification (I completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching & Learning (PGCertTTL) at the University of Waikato in 2019).
I was admitted to the Bar in 1998 (I'm a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of NZ) and I practiced as a litigation lawyer for about 13-14 months in 1998-1999 before having children.
I have taught law at the University of Waikato, at the Prince Sultan University College for Women in Riyadh, KSA and at the Kuwait International School of Law in Kuwait. I have lived overseas for a lot of my adult life, including 5 trips to Syria and 13 months teaching at an international school in Aleppo, all before the revolution began.
I have published a monograph called "Terrorism, War and International Law: The Legality of the Use of Force Against Afghanistan in 2001" (Ashgate, 2009). I have also published book chapters and journal articles in areas that include: the use of force and self-defence in international law, terrorism and piracy, comparative law, law of the Gulf states, nationality law, religion and law, contract cheating & academic integrity, harmful digital communications and other areas.

Global Geopolitics Series

The World Court says Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land is illegal: 4 steps NZ can take now

Aug 09, 2024 18:26 pm UTC| Law

Peace in the Middle East seems further away than ever. The assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel, and the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza have all put the region on a...

No-cause evictions have the potential to hurt renters – with little gain for good landlords

Jun 20, 2024 05:42 am UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

Housing security for New Zealands 1.7 million renters could be threatened if the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill becomes law. Among some potentially positive changes in the amendment such as the introduction of a...

Economy

ECB Warns Euro Zone Inflation Will Keep Rising Despite Strait of Hormuz Reopening

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that inflation in the euro zone is expected to continue rising due to the ongoing Iran war, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens immediately. Speaking on Friday...

Trump Signals Tough Stance on Iran Uranium Stockpile as Nuclear Talks Show Limited Progress

U.S. President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Iran Thursday, declaring that Washington would eventually seize Tehrans highly enriched uranium stockpile amid ongoing but fragile diplomatic negotiations over Irans...

Trump to Swear In Kevin Warsh as New Federal Reserve Chair Amid Inflation Concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to officially swear in Kevin Warsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve on Friday at the White House, marking a major leadership shift at the U.S. central bank. Warsh was confirmed by...

Dollar Eases as US-Iran Peace Deal Report Impacts Forex and Bond Markets

The U.S. dollar trimmed earlier gains on Thursday after reports emerged that Washington and Tehran had finalized a draft peace agreement aimed at easing Middle East tensions. The news influenced global forex markets, bond...

Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Iran Talks Continue to Influence Global Crude Market

Oil prices climbed sharply during early Asian trading on Friday, recovering some of the heavy losses recorded earlier this week as investors closely monitored developments surrounding the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations....

Politics

Wang Yi to Lead UN Security Council Meeting and Visit Canada Amid Improving China-Canada Relations

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to travel to New York on May 26 to chair a high-level United Nations Security Council meeting, according to an announcement from Chinas foreign ministry on Friday. The diplomatic trip...

Taiwan Says No Notice of U.S. Arms Sales Pause Amid Iran Conflict Concerns

Taiwans presidential office said Friday it has not received any official notice from the United States regarding any suspension or adjustment of military sales to the island, despite comments from a senior U.S. defense...

House Republicans Delay Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution Amid Growing Congressional Debate

Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives postponed a planned vote Thursday on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trumps military actions against Iran without Congressional approval....

U.S. Sanctions Tanzanian Police Official Over Human Rights Violations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that the United States has officially designated Tanzanian police official Faustine Jackson Mafwele over alleged human rights violations. The move is part of...

Israel Faces Global Backlash Over Gaza Flotilla Activists’ Treatment

Western governments sharply criticized Israel after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a controversial video mocking Gaza-bound flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces. The incident has...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

PDG Explores $1 Billion Sale of China Data Center Assets

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), a major data center operator backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, has reportedly launched a sale process for its China-based assets that could be valued at as much as $1 billion,...

Lam Research Expands AI-Powered Semiconductor Tools and Arizona Operations

Lam Research is accelerating its investment in artificial intelligence and advanced sensing technology to improve semiconductor manufacturing efficiency while expanding its presence in Arizona and California. The...

Texas Sues Meta Over WhatsApp Encryption Claims

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its messaging service WhatsApp, accusing the companies of misleading consumers about WhatsApps encryption and privacy protections. The...

Pentagon Expands AI Model Testing as It Seeks Alternatives to Anthropic’s Claude

The US Department of Defense is accelerating its evaluation of artificial intelligence models as it searches for alternatives to Anthropic PBCs Claude AI system, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. The...

SoftBank Shares Surge as OpenAI IPO Buzz and SB Energy Filing Boost AI Optimism

SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) shares soared on Thursday as investor confidence returned to the Japanese technology giant, driven by growing excitement around its artificial intelligence investments. The companys stock jumped...