On 9 March 2012 RGSL professors Frank Diedrich and George Ulrich presented and discussed examples of their recent academic work at the open event.
Dr. Frank Diedrich presented Ubuntu, Good Faith & Equity - Flexible Legal Principles in Developing a Contemporary Jurisprudence, F. Diedrich (ed.), Juta, Cape Town 2011
Although the title may seem exotic, the methodical approach in law remains worldwide the same: countries undergoing transition often use general principles in a statute or even the constitution enabling the courts to achieve the desired political result in the individual case. The publication provides an overview of customary law in South Africa and Albania and the development of § 242 BGB (principle of good faith) in Germany highlighting the relationship between legal sources, methods and political goals.
Dr. George Ulrich presented Human Rights Diplomacy - Contemporary Perspectives, M. O’Flaherty, G. Ulrich, A. Müller and Z. Kedzia (eds), Martinus Nijhof Publishers / Brill 2011
This collection of essays explores the notion, tools and challenges of human rights diplomacy, which is understood as the utilisation of diplomatic negotiation and persuasion for the specific purpose of promoting and protecting human rights. Theoretical reflections are combined with first-hand accounts from a range of policy-makers involved in human rights diplomacy at the bilateral, regional and multilateral (UN) level. Contributors include inter-governmentally appointed office-holders, human rights ambassadors, members of UN human rights treaty bodies and representatives of intergovernmental organisations, national human rights organisations and non-governmental organisations. Their analysis shows that skilful and principled diplomacy can become a crucial part of a holistic approach to human rights protection, complementing other means such as legal remedies, public advocacy, political pressure and technical assistance.
