Share
Borderlines
Philippe Sands, From Genocide to Ecocide
Season 1, Ep. 7
•
This special episode of Borderlines features influential educator, commentator, and litigator Philippe Sands discussing ground-breaking efforts to introduce ecocide – the crime of environmental destruction – into international legal arenas.
Philippe Sands QC is Professor of Law at University College London, Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard, and a barrister at Matrix Chambers. He practises as Counsel before international courts and tribunals. His teaching areas include public international law, the settlement of international disputes including arbitration, and environmental and natural resources law. Philippe is the author of many books, including East West Street: On the Origins of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide (2016) and The Last Colony, forthcoming in September 2022.
Philippe recently co-chaired an independent expert panel which proposed in June 2021 that a new, fifth crime of ecocide be adopted into the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In Episode Seven of Borderlines, listeners will learn about the relationship between ecocide and existing crimes, historic legal and political definitions of genocide being played out today, and the role of courts in enforcing awards and judgments against even Goliath polluters and aggressors.
Borderlines from Berkeley Law is a podcast about global problems in a world fragmented by national borders. Our host is Katerina Linos, Tragen Professor of International Law and co-director of the Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law. In each episode of Borderlines, Professor Linos invites experts to discuss cutting edge issues in international law.
For a transcript, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law podcast hub.
More episodes
View all episodes
38. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Advocate General Juliane Kokott
46:25||Ep. 38Episode #13 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features CJEU Advocate General Juliane Kokott in conversation with Professor Katerina Linos (Berkeley Law) and Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University). Appointed to the Court of Justice in 2003 after a prolific and distinguished academic and professional career, Advocate General Kokott has delivered nearly 700 case opinions as of this episode’s publication. The interview illustrates the Court’s impactful role, covering cases on regulating EU industry with major U.S. firms, wearing religious garments in the workplace, and pregnancy rights in the case of surrogacy. Listeners will glean a better understanding of the Advocate General’s unique role at the Court, and hear Advocate General Kokott discuss the Court’s enlargement and shift away from reviewing technical matters, two important changes that have occurred in the Court during her tenure.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
37. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou
48:30||Ep. 37Episode #12 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features CJEU Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou joining Professor Mark Pollack (Temple) in conversation. Advocate General Emiliou was appointed as an Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union in October 2021, following a long and illustrious academic and diplomatic career. In this episode, Advocate General Emiliou reflects on his decision to pursue his current role, highlighting the intellectual freedom it grants him to express independent legal opinions on complex and politically sensitive cases. He also offers insight into how his extensive diplomatic experience informs his approach at the CJEU and examines how the Court addresses key contemporary issues, such as migration, asylum policy, and the protection of fundamental rights.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the UC Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
35. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Judge Siniša Rodin
01:01:32||Ep. 35Episode #11 of the Borderlines CJEU series features Judge Siniša Rodin in conversation with Professor Katerina Linos (Berkeley). Appointed as a Judge at the Court of Justice in 2013, Judge Rodin discusses his remarkable career, ranging from becoming a distinguished Professor of EU law at the University of Zagreb to serving as a member of Croatia’s Constitutional Amendment Committee. Intertwined with Judge Rodin’s experiences is a discussion of Croatia’s accession to the EU, and how from Judge Rodin’s perspective, EU membership initially felt like “science fiction.”Listeners will come away with a better understanding of the European Citizens Initiative and specifically, the case One of Us and hear about the Court’s role interpreting “gray zones” between the powers of the EU and exclusive competences of the Member States. Judge Rodin also covers current trends impacting the Court, such as anonymizing cases with invented names and increase in length of judgments. About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg. For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
36. Reimagining Democracy with George Papandreou
35:34||Ep. 36Episode 36 of Borderlines brings former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou into dialogue with host Professor Katerina Linos, to share visionary insights about authoritarian threats undermining global democracy and citizen-centered solutions. Currently serving as Rapporteur for Democracy at the Council of Europe, Mr. Papandreou discusses his storied family of leaders in Greece and the United States and surviving violent coups, rightwing cabals and austerity crises. Listeners will learn about his diplomatic advances while Foreign Minister which helped humanize relations between Greece and Türkiye, and how innovating on the values of ancient Greece as the world’s first democratic state could counter today’s polarization. Mr. Papandreou made major (if ultimately unsuccessful) efforts to resolve the “Cyprus problem” – a topic Professor Linos discusses with him in this interview and during her interview with CJEU Judge Lycourgos, who similarly worked on this complex issue.Berkeley Law’s Borderlines features exclusive content with the world’s most influential legal minds. Check out the ground-breaking European Union Court of Justice profiles series and recent interviews with former top international court leaders, ICJ President Donoghue and ICC President Hofmański. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
34. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Advocate General Jean Richard de la Tour
33:00||Ep. 34Episode #10 of the Borderlines CJEU series features Advocate General Jean Richard de la Tour in conversation with Professor Mark Pollack (Temple). Advocate General Richard de la Tour was appointed to the French advocate-general seat at the Court of Justice in March 2020 and reappointed in 2024.In this episode, listeners will learn about the rigorous process of appointment to the CJEU and the unique responsibilities of an Advocate General. The conversation also highlights cases involving gender identity rights, data privacy violations, the criteria for granting or revoking refugee status, the political rights of non-national EU citizens, and the protection of the rights of asylum seekers. Advocate General Richard de la Tour also shares his views on the evolving role of the CJEU in safeguarding fundamental rights, the growing importance of data protection, and potential future cases involving artificial intelligence.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
33. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Judge Octavia Spineanu-Matei
30:31||Ep. 33Episode #9 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features CJEU Judge Octavia Spineanu-Matei in conversation with Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University). Judge Spineanu-Matei was appointed to the Court of Justice in 2021, after serving since 2016 as a Judge on the General Court. Judge Spineanu-Matei previously served as a justice in the Romanian judiciary for over 25 years. Judge Spineanu-Matei discusses her robust career path, highlighting major moments such as her first case concerning EU law, Circul Globus, and the process of appointment to the CJEU, being first chosen at the national level then vetted by the Article 255 Committee.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
32. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Judge Constantinos Lycourgos
48:44||Ep. 32Episode #8 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features CJEU Judge Constantinos Lycourgos in conversation with Professor Katerina Linos (Berkeley). Appointed as a Judge at the Court of Justice in 2014, Judge Lycourgos has served as President of Chamber there since October 2021. His interview highlights major points in Cyprus’s history and entry into the EU, the roles played by the Judge Rapporteur and Advocate General at the Court, the decision-making process and how the Court “walks the line between EU and national competences,” and why nearly all major European crises ultimately find their way before the Court.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling the Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
31. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Judge Lucia Serena Rossi
35:06||Ep. 31Episode #7 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features Judge Lucia Serena Rossi in conversation with Professor Katerina Linos. Upon her nomination by Italy, Judge Rossi served at the CJEU from October 2018 until October 2024, and brought extensive expertise in EU law to the role. She notably served as President of the 8th Chamber from 2020 to 2021 and the 9th Chamber from 2022 to 2023.About this series: UC Berkeley Law’s Borderlines podcast host, Professor Katerina Linos, and guest co-host, Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University), conduct a special interview series profiling Judges and Advocates General serving at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg.For a full transcript, show notes and links, please visit the episode page on the Berkeley Law Podcast Hub. Thanks for listening!
30. European Union Court of Justice Series: Interview with Judge Ineta Ziemele
56:31||Ep. 30Episode #6 of the Borderlines CJEU Series features CJEU Judge Ineta Ziemele in conversation with Professor Katerina Linos (UC Berkeley Law), with additional commentary by Professor Mark Pollack (Temple University).Judge Ziemele was appointed as a judge at the Court of Justice (ECJ) in October 2020, a position she has held since then. Her previous service as a judge and President of Chamber at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and as judge and President of the Latvian Constitutional Court provides an unprecedented perspective on the world and the ECJ. Judge Ziemele has also written as an academic about judicial dialogue, a crucial component between Europe’s highest Court and Member States’ national courts.Find the full transcript and links on this episode page. Thanks for listening!