This ground-breaking book challenges legal orthodoxy, presenting an original approach to the treatment of islands in international law. It offers a new perspective on how to define islands in international law, questioning how they differ from other maritime features. It focuses on the contextual factors that bear upon the legal treatment of islands, recognising that, in practice, islands have varied and unequal impacts and arguing that greater focus on context is needed to understand legal outcomes, particularly those concerning maritime boundary delimitation. Addressing the impact of rising sea levels on the interests and rights of islands and the increasing construction of artificial islands, the authors make the case for a major change in approach to the topic. This book offers international lawyers a thought-provoking reappraisal of a vital issue. It will be a useful resource for human geography and international relations scholars wishing to deepen their understanding of a key politically-contested and increasingly pressing debate in international law.

This Research Handbook is of great importance in an era where torture, whilst universally condemned, remains endemic. It explores the nature of the international prohibition of torture and the various means and mechanisms which have been put in place by the international community in an attempt to make that prohibition a reality.   Edited by Chairs of the UN Committee against Torture and of the UN Subcommittee for Prevention of Torture, this Research Handbook considers both the legal and medical dimensions of torture, as well as societal and philosophical perspectives. Contributions from experts with personal experience of working with torture victims and survivors in medical, legal and political settings survey practice within the UN and regional human rights systems, international criminal and domestic legal settings, and in medical and rehabilitative contexts. These expert perspectives combine to offer a unique range of insights into the realities of tackling torture in the contemporary world.   Critical and timely, the Research Handbook on Torture will prove compulsive reading for students and scholars of human rights. Its practical dimension will also engage practitioners in the field, as well as legal and medical professionals working on torture-related issues.

How big a problem is torture? Are the right things being done to prevent it? What does the UN do, and why does it appear at times to be so impotent in the face of torture? In this vitally important work, Malcolm D. Evans tells the story of torture prevention under international law, setting out what is really happening in places of detention around the world. Challenging assumptions about torture’s root causes, he calls for what is needed to enable us to be in a better position to bring about change. The author draws on over ten years’ experience as the Chair of the United Nations Sub-Committee for Prevention of Torture to give a frank account of the remarkable capacities of this system, what it has achieved in practice, what it has not been able to achieve – and most importantly, why.

Exploring everything from contemporary challenges to ocean security this book offers detailed insights into the increasing activities of state and non-state actors at sea. Chapters revisit the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), highlighting how not all maritime security threats can be addressed by this, and further looking at the ways in which the LOSC may even hinder maritime security. Featuring contributions from both expert academics and practitioners in the field, the book explores new maritime security threats posed by non-state actors, such as piracy and illegal fishing. It analyses how states have had to reconsider their understanding of maritime security and rethink the use and protection of their maritime domain in the face of modern challenges, including the robotics revolution, the rise of unmanned systems and the blue economy agenda. Providing a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between LOSC and maritime security, this is key reading for scholars of maritime law, international relations and security studies. Practitioners working in the shipping industry or fishing sector, as well as maritime law enforcement officials will benefit from the practical advice offered. 'There is increasing agreement maritime security is important, but there is still disagreement about what that implies or even what the term means. This book is a timely intervention in the debate by leading thinkers in the field. Maritime security scholars and practitioners will find it an indispensable reference.' - Douglas Guilfoyle, University of New South Wales Canberra, Australia Contributors include: R. Barnes, C. Bueger, K. Chadwick, T. Edmunds, S. Kopela, A. Murdoch, A. Petrig, V. Roeben, M. Rosello, K. Zou

How big a problem is torture? Are the right things being done to prevent it? What does the UN do, and why does it appear at times to be so impotent in the face of torture? In this vitally important work, Malcolm D. Evans tells the story of torture prevention under international law, setting out what is really happening in places of detention around the world. Challenging assumptions about torture’s root causes, he calls for what is needed to enable us to be in a better position to bring about change. The author draws on over ten years’ experience as the Chair of the United Nations Sub-Committee for Prevention of Torture to give a frank account of the remarkable capacities of this system, what it has achieved in practice, what it has not been able to achieve – and most importantly, why.

The freedom of religion is one of the oldest and most controversial of the claims that are recognized as forming part of the corpus of human rights. In this important and fascinating book Malcolm Evans provides a detailed account of the ways in which the freedom of religious belief came to be incorporated into the legislation of the countries of Europe. He goes on to examine the mechanisms by which this freedom is guaranteed, and a number of problematic cases which have recently been discussed in the Council of Europe. In a concluding section he outlines a number of developments which will influence the direction that the search for the protection of religious liberty under international law may take.

The freedom of religion is one of the oldest and most controversial of the claims that are recognized as forming part of the corpus of human rights. In this important and fascinating book Malcolm Evans provides a detailed account of the ways in which the freedom of religious belief came to be incorporated into the legislation of the countries of Europe. He goes on to examine the mechanisms by which this freedom is guaranteed, and a number of problematic cases which have recently been discussed in the Council of Europe. In a concluding section he outlines a number of developments which will influence the direction that the search for the protection of religious liberty under international law may take.

Prisoners are a uniquely vulnerable social group and protecting them from oppressive states has given rise to a complex web of standards generated by a variety of international mechanisms and processes. Protecting Prisoners examines the most detailed and far-reaching set of custodial standards yet devised-those of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT)--and relates them to those of other European and United Nations bodies. The book also examines the reaction of selected Council of Europe member states--Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom--to the application of those standards in CPT reports. This dual perspective provides a critical insight into the degree to which the development of international human rights law is having a practical impact on the situation of prisoners.

Preventing Torture comprises a documentary and empirical study - of a kind rare in the field of international human rights law - of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and the work of the Committee (the CPT) established under it. The authors chart the international human rights background to the Convention (including the historical and contemporary use of torture), describe the travaux préparatoires, analyse the composition and modus operandi of the Committee and set the standards formulated and applied by the CPT against those developed by other human rights bodies. They also assess, on the basis of visits throughout Europe, the reactions to the Committee's work in member states and consider the implications of an enlarged Council of Europe for the CPT in the future.