A Visit from Judge Ivana Jelić
From 20-23 March 2024, the School of Law was delighted to host Judge Ivana Jelić, Montenegrin judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). During her visit, she participated in two events, co-hosted by the Human Rights Law Centre.
International Law Association (ILA) Seminar Series
On 21 March 2024, Judge Ivana Jelić delivered a presentation entitled "Gender Equality and the Strasbourg Court's Case-Law - Certain Ongoing Issues" at the first International Law Association (ILA) Seminar of the year.
The seminar, jointly organised by the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC), aimed to explore gender equality within the context of the European Court of Human Rights' case law.
The event was chaired by Dr Klara Polackova Van der Ploeg, Assistant Professor in Law and Head of the HRLC's Business, Trade and Human Rights unit.
As one of the pillar principles of the European Convention on Human Rights, gender equality is present in almost all provisions protecting fundamental human rights and freedoms. However, the Strasbourg Court’s case-law concerned is still under development, in particular regarding protection from indirect discrimination in relation to violation of fundamental human rights. By applying a living instrument doctrine, the Court keeps track with the present-day conditions of every case, thereby contributing to feminist justice.
In her presentation, Judge Jelić discussed developments, achievements and challenges in gender equality protection by the Court. Having in mind certain ongoing issues, she presented the most important gender sensitive judgments, in particular those regarding gender-based violence and reproductive rights, with a focus on abortion and legal motherhood in surrogacy cases.
A Fireside Chat on a Career in Human Rights Law
On 22 March 2024, the HRLC was honoured to host Judge Jelić for an insightful discussion with students and staff on her remarkable career in human rights law.
During the session, Judge Jelić shared experiences from her early days working for the International Committee for the Red Cross, and her subsequent involvement with various Council of Europe committees and the UN Human Rights Committee. Additionally, she reflected on her transition to the ECtHR in 2018, offering a valuable perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the field of human rights.
About the Speaker
Judge Ivana Jelić has served as a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in respect of Montenegro since 12 July 2018. She holds an LL.M in Public International Law and International Human Rights Law, as well as a Ph.D. in Public International Law from the University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Her extensive academic background includes positions at various institutions worldwide, such as the University of Montenegro, the University of Bergen in Norway, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, and Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley in the USA. Notably, she served as a visiting professor on the European Regional Master in Human Rights and Democracy (ERMA) programme (University of Bologna and University of Sarajevo) and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor - Mercator Fellow at the Faculty of Law, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. She is Associate Professor (currently on leave) at the Faculty of Law and at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Montenegro.
In addition to her academic roles, Judge Jelić has contributed significantly to various organisations. She worked as a Legal Officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross Geneva, sub-Delegation in Montenegro. She has participated in multiple committees at the Council of Europe, including: the Committee of experts for the Improvement of Procedures for the Protection of Human Rights (DH-PR); the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) and the ad hoc Working Group of CDDH on drafting the agreement on accession of the EU to the ECHR; and the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC).
Prior to her current role at the ECtHR, she served as a Member and Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. Judge Jelić also holds positions as a Senate Member of the Montenegrin Association of Lawyers (serving as its Vice-President from 2008 - 2018) and as a Member of Legal Sciences of Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts.