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James Sweeney

Professor, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University
Prof. James A. Sweeney's research is about the after-effects of conflict: principally human rights in transitional democracies, and the rights of refugees. His monograph, 'The European Court of Human Rights in the post-Cold War Era: Universality in Transition' was published in hardback by Routledge in November 2012, and in paperback in 2014. His work on the human rights of failed asylum seekers was cited by the House of Lords in the case of R (on the application of M) v Slough BC [2008] UKHL 52, by the Court of Appeal in R. (on the application of SL) v Westminster City Council [2011] EWCA Civ 954, and most recently in R. (on the application of Refugee Action) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWHC 1033 (Admin). In the latter case Home Secretary Theresa May was found to have acted irrationally by freezing the level of cash support to be provided to asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs, for the financial year 2013/14, at the rates which had applied since 2011.

Prof. Sweeney has acted as an expert advisor to the Council of Europe in relation to freedom of assembly projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan (with the Venice Commission), Georgia, and Kosovo. In March 2011 he delivered human rights legal training to judges of the Ukrainian Supreme Court as part of a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office project. Likewise in 2013 and 2014 he convened a series of workshops on human rights and judicial interpretation for the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Kosovo, on behalf of the FCO. Throughout 2009 he acted as an expert advisor to the EU's Committee of the Regions as it prepared its Opinion on reforms to the Common European Asylum System.

Prof. Sweeney joined Lancaster University Law School in 2013. Prior to that, he has worked at Durham, Newcastle and Hull. From 2011-2013 he was Deputy Director of Durham Global Security Institute.

Why have so few atrocities ever been recognised as genocide?

May 30, 2025 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Politics

An intense argument is raging over whether what has been happening in Gaza since October 2023 is an act of genocide. It is the subject of a case being heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which South Africa...

Economy

Fed Rate Hike Threatens Housing as U.S. Growth Leans on AI, Citi Says

The Federal Reserves latest interest rate hike could deepen the U.S. housing downturn while making economic growth increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence investment, according to Citi Research. The Fed raised its...

Strait of Hormuz Oil Shipments Hit Six-Month High as U.S. Clears Mines

Oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have climbed to a six-month high over the past two weeks, as U.S.-led naval escorts and mine-clearing operations improve access to the critical energy...

Bessent, He Lifeng to Discuss AI Security and Trade in New York

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday for talks covering artificial intelligence security, trade and other major economic issues, according to a person...

Canada Eyes India Trade Deal by Year-End

Canada is increasingly optimistic that it can finalize a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with India before the end of the year, with energy, nuclear power and critical minerals emerging as major areas...

Mexico Pushes for US Trade Deal Before Midterms

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that her government is working to secure a trade agreement with the United States as quickly as possible, following what she described as a productive conversation with U.S....

Politics

Germany’s Carsten Breuer Elected Next NATO Military Committee Chair

German General Carsten Breuer has been elected as the next chair of the NATO Military Committee, putting Germanys chief of defence in line to become the alliances most senior military officer. Chiefs of defence from NATOs...

Turkey Ready to Aid Saudi Arabia Under Defence Pact as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Ankara is prepared to help Saudi Arabia meet potential military needs as Houthi attacks intensify, citing a trilateral defence agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia...

US, Denmark and Greenland Reach Deal to Expand American Military Presence

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement allowing Washington to expand its military presence in Greenland while restricting US adversaries from establishing bases or making sensitive investments...

Israeli Strikes Across Gaza Leave at Least Three Dead

Israeli airstrikes killed at least three Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials, as violence continued despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. One Israeli strike near the...

Trump Plans Federal AI Force and AI Czar

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to create a federal AI Force and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, outlining an effort to accelerate U.S. AI development while using existing laws to address...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

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...

Technology

SpaceX Nasdaq 100 Weight to More Than Double in Rebalance

SpaceX is set to gain significantly more influence in the Nasdaq 100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance on Monday, with the companys weighting expected to more than double. According to Bloomberg,...

Westinghouse Targets $50 Billion Valuation in U.S. IPO

Westinghouse Electric Co. is seeking a valuation of more than $50 billion for its planned U.S. initial public offering, as the nuclear technology company moves closer to a public market debut amid growing interest in...

NASA, Boeing Discuss Expanding Starliner Missions

NASA is holding discussions with Boeing about expanding the use of its Starliner spacecraft for future missions, potentially giving the troubled vehicle a larger role in U.S. human spaceflight plans. The space agency and...

Apple Pay Set for India Launch With Axis Bank

Apple is preparing to launch Apple Pay in India next month, initially partnering with Axis Bank to support the lenders credit cards, according to three people familiar with the plans. The rollout would bring Apples digital...

Hyundai CEO Warns Chinese Automakers Could Disrupt US Market

Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz warned that Chinese automakers could eventually reshape the US auto market as they have in Europe unless Washington maintains tariffs and other market-access protections. Speaking in San Jose,...