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James Sweeney

Professor, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University
Prof. James A. Sweeney's research is about the after-effects of conflict: principally human rights in transitional democracies, and the rights of refugees. His monograph, 'The European Court of Human Rights in the post-Cold War Era: Universality in Transition' was published in hardback by Routledge in November 2012, and in paperback in 2014. His work on the human rights of failed asylum seekers was cited by the House of Lords in the case of R (on the application of M) v Slough BC [2008] UKHL 52, by the Court of Appeal in R. (on the application of SL) v Westminster City Council [2011] EWCA Civ 954, and most recently in R. (on the application of Refugee Action) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWHC 1033 (Admin). In the latter case Home Secretary Theresa May was found to have acted irrationally by freezing the level of cash support to be provided to asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs, for the financial year 2013/14, at the rates which had applied since 2011.

Prof. Sweeney has acted as an expert advisor to the Council of Europe in relation to freedom of assembly projects in Armenia, Azerbaijan (with the Venice Commission), Georgia, and Kosovo. In March 2011 he delivered human rights legal training to judges of the Ukrainian Supreme Court as part of a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office project. Likewise in 2013 and 2014 he convened a series of workshops on human rights and judicial interpretation for the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Kosovo, on behalf of the FCO. Throughout 2009 he acted as an expert advisor to the EU's Committee of the Regions as it prepared its Opinion on reforms to the Common European Asylum System.

Prof. Sweeney joined Lancaster University Law School in 2013. Prior to that, he has worked at Durham, Newcastle and Hull. From 2011-2013 he was Deputy Director of Durham Global Security Institute.

Why have so few atrocities ever been recognised as genocide?

May 30, 2025 11:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Politics

An intense argument is raging over whether what has been happening in Gaza since October 2023 is an act of genocide. It is the subject of a case being heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which South Africa...

Economy

Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will impose a 100% tariff on imports from any country that enforces digital services taxes (DSTs) on American technology companies, significantly...

US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Friday, extending its decline for a second consecutive session after a six-day winning streak pushed the greenback to its strongest level since May 2025. Despite the modest pullback, the...

Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen

Gold prices rebounded more than 1% on Friday but still finished the week in negative territory, as renewed expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and a stronger U.S. dollar continued to pressure the precious...

Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts

Wall Street closed slightly lower on Friday, capping a difficult week for U.S. equities as technology stocks led the decline. With geopolitical tensions easing following diplomatic progress in the Middle East and oil...

South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks

South Koreas benchmark KOSPI index suffered a steep selloff on Friday as investors dumped technology and semiconductor stocks following Apples latest price increases and reports that OpenAI may delay its highly anticipated...

Politics

US Seizes Nearly 400 Illegal World Cup Streaming Domains in Global Anti-Piracy Crackdown

U.S. authorities have seized nearly 400 internet domains that were allegedly used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup matches, marking one of the largest anti-piracy enforcement actions tied to the global soccer tournament....

Iran Revolutionary Guards Claim Strike on U.S. Military Positions After Fresh U.S. Attack

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it had targeted U.S. military positions across the region in retaliation for what it described as a fresh U.S. military strike against Iran,...

Texas Approves Bible-Inclusive Reading Lists for Public Schools Starting in 2030

Texas has approved new mandatory reading lists for public school students that include passages from the Bible, marking the latest move by state leaders to incorporate conservative and religious values into public...

US Strikes Iran After Strait of Hormuz Attack as Ceasefire Tensions Escalate

The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Friday following an Iranian drone attack on a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions despite a ceasefire agreement reached...

NATO Strengthens Arctic Defense as Russia Expands Military Presence

As NATO ramps up efforts to reinforce its Arctic defenses, alliance members are investing in military capabilities to counter Russias growing presence in the strategically important High North. The initiative comes as...

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

Italy Investigates Microsoft Over Microsoft 365 AI Subscription Price Hike

Italys antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Microsoft over allegations of unfair commercial practices tied to the pricing changes for its Microsoft 365 subscription service. The probe focuses on whether...

SpaceX, Charter Communications Explore Mobile Partnership to Expand Starlink Wireless Service

SpaceX and Charter Communications are reportedly in executive-level discussions about forming a strategic partnership that could accelerate the expansion of consumer mobile services across the United States. According to a...

OpenAI IPO Delay Weighs on SoftBank Shares as AI Valuation Concerns Grow

SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Friday after a report suggested that OpenAI is considering postponing its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO), delaying what many investors had expected to...

Apple Supplier Stocks Slide as Samsung, SK Hynix Lead Selloff After Apple Price Hikes

Apples major Asian suppliers came under heavy selling pressure on Friday after the iPhone maker announced significant price increases for its MacBook and iPad lineup, fueling concerns that rising semiconductor costs are...

Samsung, SK Hynix to Unveil Record AI and Semiconductor Investment Plans Worth Over $646 Billion

South Korean technology giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are preparing to unveil sweeping long-term investment strategies centered on semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and next-generation technologies,...