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Myra Williamson

Senior Lecturer of Law and Convenor of the BA in Law, University of Waikato
I hold a BA in Politics and an LLB Hons (First Class) from the University of Otago (I graduated in May 1997). I also hold 3 post-graduate qualifications: an LLM Hons (First Class) and a PhD (conferred 2008) in law from the University of Waikato, plus a tertiary teaching qualification (I completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching & Learning (PGCertTTL) at the University of Waikato in 2019).
I was admitted to the Bar in 1998 (I'm a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of NZ) and I practiced as a litigation lawyer for about 13-14 months in 1998-1999 before having children.
I have taught law at the University of Waikato, at the Prince Sultan University College for Women in Riyadh, KSA and at the Kuwait International School of Law in Kuwait. I have lived overseas for a lot of my adult life, including 5 trips to Syria and 13 months teaching at an international school in Aleppo, all before the revolution began.
I have published a monograph called "Terrorism, War and International Law: The Legality of the Use of Force Against Afghanistan in 2001" (Ashgate, 2009). I have also published book chapters and journal articles in areas that include: the use of force and self-defence in international law, terrorism and piracy, comparative law, law of the Gulf states, nationality law, religion and law, contract cheating & academic integrity, harmful digital communications and other areas.

Global Geopolitics Series

The World Court says Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land is illegal: 4 steps NZ can take now

Aug 09, 2024 18:26 pm UTC| Law

Peace in the Middle East seems further away than ever. The assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel, and the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza have all put the region on a...

No-cause evictions have the potential to hurt renters – with little gain for good landlords

Jun 20, 2024 05:42 am UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

Housing security for New Zealands 1.7 million renters could be threatened if the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill becomes law. Among some potentially positive changes in the amendment such as the introduction of a...

Economy

Oil Prices Rise as US-Iran Talks Stall, Inflation Risks Grow

Oil prices climbed on Tuesday as stalled U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and uncertainty over reopening the Strait of Hormuz renewed concerns about global energy supplies. Asian stock markets, meanwhile, traded cautiously as...

Singapore Raises 2026 GDP Growth Forecast to 4.5%-5.5% as AI Boom Fuels Economy

Singapore has sharply upgraded its 2026 economic growth forecast, citing stronger global artificial intelligence investment, resilient external demand and a less severe economic impact from the Middle East conflict than...

Gold Price Hits Two-Month High as Investors Await US Inflation Data

Gold prices extended their rally on Tuesday, climbing to their highest level in more than two months as strong investor demand, safe-haven buying and bullish momentum outweighed pressure from higher U.S. Treasury yields, a...

Yen Stabilizes After Intervention Slide as Australian Dollar Hits Eight-Week High

The Japanese yen steadied against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday after suffering a sharp decline in the previous session, as the impact of the recent joint U.S.-Japan currency intervention continued to fade. Meanwhile, the...

Singapore Raises 2026 GDP Growth Forecast as AI Demand Fuels Economy

Singapores economy delivered stronger-than-expected growth in the second quarter of 2026, prompting the government to significantly raise its full-year GDP forecast as booming global demand for artificial...

Politics

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Systematic Torture of POWs and Civilian Detainees

Former Ukrainian detainees and government officials have accused Russia of widespread and systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, alleging beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and...

Houthi Attack on Yemen’s Mocha Port Kills 7, Injures 30

At least seven people were killed and 30 others wounded after Houthi forces launched a major attack on Yemens Red Sea port city of Mocha, according to the Yemeni military. The military said in a statement early Monday that...

Trump Media Says Truth API Draws 10+ Customers as Conflict Concerns Grow

Trump Media Technology Group said Monday that more than 10 customers have signed up for its upcoming Truth API, a real-time data service designed to provide rapid access to posts from prominent Truth Social accounts,...

Trump Secretly Switched Planes in Turkey After Iran Threat, Report Says

U.S. President Donald Trump secretly switched to a smaller military aircraft while leaving Turkey last month due to a potential Iranian security threat, according to a Washington Post report published Monday. Trump had...

FCC Steps Up China Tech Crackdown as Beijing Pushes Back

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has emerged as a key force in the Trump administrations technology and national security strategy toward China, expanding its role far beyond traditional oversight of...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Anthropic Signs $9.1B AI Data Center Deal With Riot Platforms

Anthropic has reportedly signed a $9.1 billion long-term agreement with Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) to secure large-scale AI computing capacity, marking another major investment by the Claude developer as demand for...

Nvidia Secures $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push With Wall Street Giants

Nvidia is expanding its influence beyond semiconductors after announcing agreements aimed at mobilizing up to $500 billion in third-party capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The move brings the AI chip...

SEC Clears Path for Data Center Securitizations as AI Financing Demand Surges

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has provided regulatory clarification that could make it easier for data center owners and operators to access capital markets as the artificial intelligence boom drives...

Apple Tests China’s CXMT Memory Chips for iPhones and MacBooks Amid AI Supply Crunch

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly testing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor manufacturer CXMT Corp as the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure puts increasing pressure on global memory...

Sony, TSMC Eye $6.3 Billion Japan Chip Venture for Next-Gen Image Sensors

Sony Group and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) are reportedly preparing to invest about 1 trillion yen ($6.32 billion) in a new Japanese semiconductor venture focused on next-generation chips for image...