You are leading a project entitled “Emotions and International Law”. Could you explain the intellectual motivations that led you to explore this theme, as well as the context in which this project emerged?
While I was writing my PhD on food insecurity and climate change at the LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science), I became intrigued by the fearful discourses around climate change. For instance, phrases like “time is running out” and “we are heading for climate catastrophe”. Intuitively I felt like this kind of language must have an influence on, and be influenced by, climate change law. This curiosity eventually became an article, “Discourses of Fear on Climate Change in International Human Rights Law”.
As I immersed myself in discourses of fear around climate change, I found the wondrous world of emotions research. There has been a recent surge in interest in emotions research across disciplines, spurred by insights in neuroscience that challenge the long-held idea that reason and emotion are separate. I submitted my grant application to the SNSF (Swiss National Science Foundation) three times before being successful, and the generous feedback from reviewers put me in a confident position to start the research project in 2023.
What role do emotions play in contemporary international law, and how do they influence the way the law responds to current crises?
My starting position is that international law remains grounded in the idea that the legal process can effectively eliminate emotions. I draw on emotions research from other disciplines to challenge this rationalist assumption. My overarching objective in this research project is to illustrate that emotions are an inextricable part of reasonable decision-making and to open space for engaging with the role of emotions in international law.
The role that emotions play in contemporary international law must be explored in particular contexts, through particular lenses, with particular methods. Each of the members of the research team explores a specific case study. I cannot speak about the role of emotions in international law in general, except to say that emotions play a role in all areas of international law.
Do you think emotions have a place in the International Court of Justice? If so, in what form and with what implications?
The ICJ is saturated in emotions. It suffices to listen to the impassioned presentations by legal counsel on questions around the impacts of climate change and genocide. The World Court deals in questions of international law, but ultimately these are questions about humanity and therefore highly emotional. Some relevant and thought-provoking scholarship is emerging on the role of emotions in international courts, but there remains little attention for this.
I am preparing an interview series to canvass the multiple places of emotions in the work of the ICJ. My plan is to prepare another grant proposal focusing on emotions at the ICJ. There are so many aspects to explore, for instance textual analysis of emotive language used in ICJ pleadings and decisions, interviews and observations of ICJ actors, and the study of historical archives.
This article was published in Globe #36, the Graduate Institute Review.
