Ukraine Beyond Aggression
Legal Responses to Russia's Invasion in 2022 and its Consequences
21 February 2024
The Human Rights Law Centre, in partnership with the Nottingham International Law and Security Centre, hosted an event exploring legal responses to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
This event showcased a broad range of research related to Russia’s war against Ukraine examined within the framework of international law, in order to deepen understanding of the ongoing conflict. As we approached the two-year mark since the invasion, this event presented an opportune moment for critical reflection on the role and efficacy of international law in addressing this conflict, and armed conflicts more broadly.
The event commenced with a keynote address delivered by Judge Mykola Gnatovskyy, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Ukraine, followed by a presentation from Maksym Demydenko of the Ukraine War Archive. The Ukraine War Archive compiles digital materials such as videos and audio recordings documenting the Russian invasion, covering life during the war, evacuation, and interviews with eyewitnesses and aims to preserve history and ensure fair representation in legal and public discussions.
Speakers
We were joined by a range of speakers who presented on various topics related to the conflict in Ukraine, including its historical roots, the ongoing refugee crisis, purported justifications for the war, civilian harm under international humanitarian law, international responses to the conflict, accountability efforts, legal responsibility, and more. Speakers included:
- Judge Mykola Gnatovskyy - Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Ukraine
- Maksym Demydenko - Co-founder, Ukraine War Archive
- Luigi Daniele - Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University
- Izabela Gawor - Litigation Caseworker at the UK Home Office
- Maciej Grześkowiak - PhD candidate at the University of Warsaw
- Yulia Ioffe - Lecturer in Law at University College London (UCL)
- Victor Kattan - Assistant Professor in Public International Law at the University of Nottingham
- Lauri Mälksoo - Professor of International Law at the University of Tartu in Estonia
- Scarlett McArdle - Assistant Professor in Law at the University of Nottingham
- Klara Polackova Van der Ploeg - Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham
- Magdalena Zabrocka - Doctoral researcher at the University of Aberdeen; Faculty member at the University of Nottingham
View the full programme