Prof Cathryn Costello
@profccostello.bsky.social
720 followers 1.8K following 52 posts
Full Prof of Global Refugee and Migration Law, Sutherland School of Law, UCD; ex-Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford; ex-Centre for Fundamental Rights, Hertie School, Berlin. Recent return migrant after two decades.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
aoifemod.bsky.social
The Wolfson Report treats #NorthernIreland and the international legal commitments of the UK Government - which are very clearly spelled out in the #1998Agreement - as mere political agreements.
Once again it is a Treaty & requires #ECHR rights - not UK versions of them
1/3
aoifemod.bsky.social
Ehm...

1) Because it is an integral part of the UK - not an overseas territority etcs., - & UK wide law applies to it

2) Direct Rule is always a possibility

3) Nice to the Conversative & Unionist Party looking for yet another sea border, as that is so popular.

See caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
profccostello.bsky.social
Thanks @hollycullenfreo.bsky.social for this public service - international labour law at the ICJ!
hollycullenfreo.bsky.social
I'm no @drnajimagi.bsky.social (I'm more of an ILO nerd), but I watched yesterday's oral hearings in the advisory opinion proceedings on the right to strike under ILO Convention No 87 at the ICJ and provided some highlights in the thread below.
hollycullenfreo.bsky.social
Happening now: live broadcast of oral submissions on the advisory opinion request from the ILO on the right to strike under ILO Convention No 87 on Freedom of Association.
profccostello.bsky.social
I despair of UK asylum developments - from bad to worse in terms of wrongheaded performative cruelty
danielsohege.bsky.social
Labour continues to show complete disregard for either basic humanity or reality.
While family reunion routes are already fairly limited, you couldn't create a bigger gift to smuggling gangs than cancelling them. These policies will increase number of people forced to use irregular routes. #r4today
danielsohege.bsky.social
There is no such thing, as Starmer well knows, as a "golden ticket of resettlement and family reunion" for people who have been granted refugee status. This is meaningless guff aimed to play to populist fantasies that refugees get provided with everything. 1/

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
timothysnyder.bsky.social
From 1939-1945 German officers also listened to speeches from civilians about how the laws of war didn’t apply to them. And then they participated in the Holocaust, starved millions of prisoners of war, destroyed villages and cities, and were defeated.
atrupar.com
Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
sonyacotton.bsky.social
So excited for this event!
property-injustice.bsky.social
We're hosting our final project event on 29 Sept.

Land, Property and Spatial [In]Justice: Towards a Legal Geography of International Law

W/ project team & stellar guest speakers who influenced us
@amandabyer.bsky.social @sonyacotton.bsky.social @sineadmercier.bsky.social @elaj-ucd.bsky.social
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
aellaboudy.bsky.social
The programme is here! TriCON New Voices in Constitutional Law Workshop features 6 brilliant ECRs tackling diverse research inquiries, with expert feedback from leading constitutional law academics - plus a keynote session by Prof. Leah Trueblood. @tricondublin.bsky.social
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
profpech.bsky.social
"the European Commission presented today its proposal to the Council to suspend certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel ... as well as its proposals for sanctions on Hamas, extremist ministers and violent settlers"

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
seanrehaag.bsky.social
A busy week...

My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:

www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...
Cover image for a report entitled "From Surveillance to Empowerment: Advancing the Responsible Use of Technology in Alternatives to Detention" Accessible text via link
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
aoifemod.bsky.social
A must read from Guy S Goodwin-Gill - his exortation at the end

'We must make it known that we do not want and will not share our space with war criminals or génocidaires.'

& that we must talk & talk about genocide needs to be heard loud & clear among public international law scholars
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
aoifemod.bsky.social
From myself & @colinmurray.bsky.social on the European Convention on Human Rights & very briefly (bc it is clear) why it is not plausible to claim that it is possible to leave & not breach the 1998 Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.
cajni.bsky.social
A new report by @colinmurray.bsky.social and @aoifemod.bsky.social explains claims the UK could leave the ECHR without breaching the Good Friday Agreement are “not credible.”

caj.org.uk/wp-content/u...
The front cover of CAJ's newest publication titled "The Belfast/ Good Friday Agreement 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights: Explainer". The cover includes this title as well as a partially covered image of 'The Treaty Series' agreement for the Belfast Agreement.
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
biicl.bsky.social
📢 Marking 75 years of the European Convention on Human Rights (#ECHR) and 35 years of the #VeniceCommission
ECHR and Venice Commission: Guarding Human Rights and the Rule of Law, and Facilitating Constitutional Resilience
📌 BIICL, London | 🗓 6–7 Nov 2025
📌 Programme now available
buff.ly/hK00usl
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
crookedfootball.bsky.social
Now listened all the way through and repeat my recommendation. But not for squeamish, since has EHCR and Refugee Conv gone in 10 y, possible Farage PM, mass deportation in near future, and EU transformed into vehicle of pan-Euro exclusionary "Christian" nationalism. All avoidable if we fight back.
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
non-signatory.bsky.social
Our new edited volume, Non-signatory States in International Refugee Law, has just been published 📌
The open access book explores the intricate relationship between the international refugee regime and states that are not signatories to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

Read the full book:
Non-signatory States in International Refugee Law
"Non-signatory States in International Refugee Law" published on 09 Sep 2025 by Brill | Nijhoff.
brill.com
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
marianavr.bsky.social
Today the elected members to the judiciary in Mexico 🇲🇽 take office and so a new era of sheer uncertainty re the independence & quality of judicial admin begins.
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
aliromah.bsky.social
For the 1st time the UK will be the the subject of an @amnesty.org global urgent action. It says this is to "protect the right to protest in the UK, following the arrest, since July 2025, of over 700 people for peacefully protesting in support of Palestine Action" www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releas...
Amnesty International launches global campaign to protect UK protest rights after Palestine Action arrests
The Urgent Action will involve letters addressed to the UK’s Chief Prosecutors, signed by activists and supporters all over the world.
www.amnesty.org.uk
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
adhaque.bsky.social
Ezra Klein's interview with Philippe Sands is very good overall.

But I want to reiterate that the ICJ has never said that the definition of genocide requires a "single intent."

Nor does the ICJ's standard of proof preclude a finding of genocide in cases of plural intent.

1/🧵
ezrakleinbot.bsky.social
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.

When Is It Genocide?
Philippe Sands discusses how to think about the tragedies in Gaza through the lens of international law.
open.spotify.com/episode/0ZBm...

youtu.be/RrhBypHFYPY?...
Israel, Gaza and the Debate Over Genocide | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
ciel.org
📢 Happening Today: 3PM CEST

⚖️ The @CIJ_ICJ delivers its Advisory Opinion on climate change and state responsibility. This could reshape global #ClimateJustice.

Stay tuned for updates and analysis.
duycks.bsky.social
🔥 ⚖️ 🌐 At 3pm CEST TODAY, 🇺🇳 ICJ will deliver a history-making ruling on #ClimateJustice!
We are setting up in front of the Court in Den Haag 🇳🇱.
👀 Watch this space to follow mobilization outside of the Court & for real-time analysis of the ruling
#AOLetsGo #ClimateJusticeAO
Reposted by Prof Cathryn Costello
tobycmurray.bsky.social
xAI’s Grok vividly highlights the potential for generative AI to turbo charge disinformation and concentrate influence power. Just at the time we learn LLMs may be more persuasive than humans bsky.app/profile/cscl...
zey.bsky.social
Why did Grok suddenly start talking about “white genocide in South Africa” even if asked about baseball or cute dogs?

Because someone at Musk’s xAi deliberately did this, and we only found out because they were clumsy.

My piece on the real dangers of AI.

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/17/o...