I work at the intersection of human rights law and science in the context of climate change and sustainability education. Considering scientific evidence, my research examines how human rights can be used to effectuate change and to address the climate change crisis. I use comparative legal analysis and interdisciplinary methods.

I am particularly interested in exploring the emerging paradigm of earth system law. Earth system law is defined "as an innovative legal imaginary that is rooted in the Anthropocene’s planetary context and its perceived socio-ecological crisis. Earth system law is aligned with, and responsive to, the Earth system’s functional, spatial and temporal complexities; and the multiple earth system science and social science-based governance challenges arising from a no-analogue state in which the Earth system currently operates." (Kotze and Kim, 2020, 464).

Furthermore, "Earth system law therefore offers: (i) an interdisciplinary analytical framework to better understand and respond to the legal dimensions of earth system governance; (ii) the normative foundations to govern the full spectrum of Earth system relationships in a way that promotes planetary integrity and justice in their fullest sense; and (iii) the legal means to facilitate transformative earth system governance for long-term sustainability." (ibid.)

Human Rights and Social Justice

LLM/MA Global Human Rights and Social Justice in Practice

• Global Human Rights and Social Justice in Practice Dissertation (LLM/MA)
• Environmental Rights, Sustainability and Climate Change (LLM/MA)
• Contemporary Issues in Global Human Rights and Social Justice (LLM/MA)
• Human Rights and Legal Scholarship: Climatizing Human Rights (LLM)
• 21st Century Security Threats: Crime, Crisis or Tragedy (BA)
• Global Climate Emergency (BA)

Postgraduate supervision

PhD supervision in progress:

• Jahanara Rowell: “Exploring Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Approaches for Refugee and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in England.”
• Over 40 supervisions of LLM/MA Human Rights dissertations completed, including:
• Jehannara Mohideen: “The Judicial Response to a Refugee Child’s Rights to Reunite with Families Still Abroad: Can this be an eye opener for UK policy makers?”
• Dr Martin Luther King Human Rights Prize (2024)
• Oghenero Ajantana: “Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Pollution Through Constitutionally Guaranteed Rights to a Clean and Healthy Environment: Nigeria as a case study.”
• Dr Martin Luther King Human Rights Prize (2023)
• Ayah Mahmoud: “Artificial Intelligence and Legal Decision Making: Is there a risk of human rights violations such as errors of due process and the perpetuation of systemic discrimination?”
• Dr Martin Luther King Human Rights Prize (2022)