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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

SNB Flags Global Risks, Urges Stronger UBS Oversight Amid Economic Uncertainty

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has warned of a highly uncertain economic outlook due to rising trade and geopolitical tensions, emphasizing the need to strengthen UBS oversight. In its 2025 Financial Stability Report, the...

Trump Slams Fed Chair Powell Again After Rate Hold

U.S. President Donald Trump reignited his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, calling him the WORST and a real dummy in a social media post. The attack followed the Feds decision to leave...

Dollar Gains on Safe-Haven Demand Amid Middle East Tensions and Fed Caution

The U.S. dollar strengthened on Thursday, driven by safe-haven demand as fears of an escalating Middle East conflict intensified. Reports that Washington is preparing for a potential strike on Iran pushed investors toward...

Asia Stocks Slip, Gold Gains as Trump Weighs U.S. Strike on Iran

Asian stock markets slipped Thursday as investors sought safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions. Concerns over possible U.S. involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran air war drove demand for gold and the...

Macquarie Now Expects Fed Rate Cut in December Amid Shift Toward Inflation Tolerance

Macquarie has reversed its no-rate-cut stance for 2025, now predicting a 25-basis-point cut by December after the Federal Reserve maintained its projection for two rate cuts despite raising its inflation forecast. The...

Politics

Iran-Israel Conflict Escalates Amid Rising Civilian Casualties and Global Tensions

Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated into the regions most intense conflict in decades, with mutual missile strikes killing hundreds and damaging key infrastructure. On Thursday, Iranian missiles hit a hospital...

Thai PM Paetongtarn Faces Crisis as Coalition Partner Exits Over Cambodia Leak

Thailands Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing a political crisis after a key coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew support late Wednesday. The move threatens to collapse her 10-month-old government...

U.S. Prepares Potential Strike on Iran Amid Growing Israel-Iran Conflict

Senior U.S. officials are reportedly preparing for a potential military strike on Iran as early as this weekend, Bloomberg reported. Multiple federal agencies are mobilizing in anticipation of a possible escalation, though...

Nippon Steel Closes $14.9B U.S. Steel Deal with Trump-Backed Golden Share

Nippon Steel has finalized its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, buying all shares at $55 each in a landmark deal supported by President Donald Trump. The Japanese steelmakers 18-month effort to secure U.S....

Trump Faces MAGA Rift Over Possible U.S. Strike on Iran

President Donald Trump is facing internal divisions within his America First coalition over potential U.S. military involvement in Israels conflict with Iran. Key allies like Steve Bannon and Representative Marjorie Taylor...

Science

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback

SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, central to Elon Musks vision for interplanetary travel, launched its ninth uncrewed test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 27, 2025. The two-stage vehiclecomprising the upper-stage...

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency

Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation...

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology...

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

Technology

Malaysia Sues Telegram Over Alleged Illegal Content

Malaysias Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has launched a civil lawsuit against Telegram and two channels on its platform for allegedly distributing illegal content, marking a significant escalation in the...

Texas Lawmakers Urge Tesla to Delay Austin Robotaxi Launch Amid Safety Concerns

A group of Democratic lawmakers from Texas is urging Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to delay its upcoming robotaxi launch in Austin until new autonomous vehicle regulations take effect in September. In a letter sent Wednesday,...

Alibaba Cloud Expands in South Korea with Second Data Center Near Seoul

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group (HK:9988, NYSE:BABA), is expanding its presence in South Korea with a second data center near Seoul. The move is part of the companys broader effort to scale its...

Apple Eyes Generative AI for Custom Chip Design, Says Exec

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is exploring the use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) to enhance the design of its custom silicon chips, according to a recent Reuters report. Johny Srouji, Apples senior vice...

Meta Eyes $1B AI Fund Deal to Boost Artificial General Intelligence Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a partial stake in a prominent artificial intelligence venture fund managed by Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, according to The Information. The...