Profile
Dr Silvia Borelli
- Laurea in Law (University of Parma)
- Masters in International Relations (University of Bologna)
- Ph.D. in Public International Law (State University of Milan)
- Avvocato (Italian Bar; non-practising)
Principal Lecturer in Public International Law; Director of Research
Silvia joined the School of Law in January 2011 as Principal Lecturer and Director of Research.
Previously she was a Research Fellow in Public International Law and Teaching Fellow at the Faculty of Laws at University College London and was a Fellow of the UCL Institute for Human Rights.
Silvia is also a visiting lecturer at King’s College London, where she teaches International Human Rights Law. She also retains an association with the Department of International Law of the University of Parma.
Other previous academic appointments include serving as a Research Fellow at the Catholic University of Milan. Silvia has been a Visiting Fellow at the British Institute of Public International Law (BIICL), the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge, and the Faculty of Law at Reykjavik University.
Silvia collaborates with a number of London-based NGOs specialising in international human rights advocacy.
Research interests
Silvia’s research interests lie in the field of public international law generally, with particular emphasis on international human rights law and international humanitarian law, international refugee law, the international law of cooperation in criminal matters, the peaceful settlement of disputes, State responsibility and the law of treaties.
Silvia’s recent academic and consultancy work addresses issues related to the transfer of individuals under international law, the extraterritorial applicability of international human rights obligations, and human rights and counter-terrorism activities. Silvia is also currently involved in the DOMAC research project, which investigates the impact of the activities of international courts and tribunals on domestic prosecutions of mass atrocities.
Research supervision
Silvia is happy to consider supervising students in any of her areas of research interest, and in particular on the following topics:
- the international legal rules relevant to transfer of individuals (including both international human rights law and international refugee law);
- the extraterritorial applicability of international human rights obligations;
- the interface between international human rights law and counter-terrorism measures;
- cultural diversity and human rights (in particular issues relating to the right to manifest and practice one’s religion); and
- the law of State responsibility.
Publications
Chapters in edited volumes
- ‘Rendition, Torture and Intelligence Cooperation’, in H. Born, I. Leigh, A. Wills (eds), International Intelligence Cooperation: Challenges, Oversight and the Role of Law (Routledge, 2011)
- ‘Countermeasures: Obligations Relating to Human Rights and Humanitarian Law’, in J. Crawford, A. Pellet and S. Olleson (eds), The Law of International Responsibility (Oxford University Press, 2010), pp. 1177-1196 (with Simon Olleson)
- ‘Allontanamento dello straniero dal territorio e norme internazionali per la tutela dei diritti umani’, in L. Zagato (ed.), Verso una disciplina comune europea del diritto d’asilo (CEDAM, 2006), pp. 99-122
- ‘Estradizione, espulsione e tutela dei diritti fondamentali’, in L. Pineschi (ed.), La tutela internazionale dei diritti umani: norme, garanzie, prassi (Giuffrè, 2006), pp. 773-800
- ‘Le riserve ai trattati sui diritti umani’, in L. Pineschi (ed.), La tutela internazionale dei diritti umani: norme, garanzie, prassi (Giuffrè, 2006), pp. 724-751
- ‘The Treatment of Terrorist Suspects Captured Abroad: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law’ in A. Bianchi (ed.), Enforcing International Law Norms Against Terrorism (Hart Publishing, 2004), pp. 39-61
- ‘The Rendition of Terrorist Suspects to the United States: Human Rights and the Limits of International Cooperation’, in A. Bianchi (ed.), Enforcing International Law Norms Against Terrorism (Hart Publishing, 2004), pp. 331-373
Journal/periodical articles
- ‘Implementation of the Rome Statute in Italy’, Finnish Yearbook of International Law, vol. 16 (2005), pp. 163-195 [published 2007] (with Paola Sacchi)
- ‘Casting Light on the Legal Black Hole: International Law and Detentions Abroad in the “War on Terror”’, International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 87 (2005), no. 857, pp. 39-68
- ‘Terrorism and Human Rights: Treatment of Terrorist Suspects and Limits on International Cooperation’, Leiden Journal of International Law, vol. 16 (2003), pp. 803-820
- ‘Estradizione e pena di morte: considerazioni in margine alla sentenza della Corte Suprema del Canada nel caso Burns’, Rivista Internazionale dei Diritti dell’Uomo, vol. 51 (2001), pp. 76-110
Shorter pieces
- Editorial Review, ‘Challenges to Security and the Rule of Law in the Fight Against Terrorism: Judicial Responses from the Commonwealth’, Commonwealth Human Rights Law Digest, Special Issue on Security and Rule of Law (Autumn 2008), pp. xviii-xxxii
- ‘Balancing National Security Concerns and Individual Rights in the Fight against Terrorism: The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on “The Wall”’, INTERIGHTS Bulletin, vol. 15:1 (November 2004), pp. 32-34
- ‘Editorial: Positive Obligations of States and the Protection of Human Rights’, INTERIGHTS Bulletin, vol. 15:3 (May 2006), pp. 101-104
Forthcoming publications and work in progress
- ‘Of Veils, Crosses and Turbans: The European Court of Human Rights and the Protection of Cultural Diversity in Europe’, in S. Borelli and F. Lenzerini (eds), The Human Dimension of Cultural Heritage (forthcoming, 2011)
- Co-editor of S. Borelli and F. Lenzerini (eds), The Human Dimension of Cultural Heritage (forthcoming, 2011)
- ‘Troubled Waters in the Mare Nostrum: The ‘Push-back’ of Migrants from Africa and the European Convention on Human Rights’, in A. Abass and F. Ippolito (eds), Inside Asylum: African and European Responses to Asylum Problems (working title) (forthcoming, 2011)
- ‘Responsabilità delle Nazioni Unite per violazione dei diritti dell’uomo e del diritto internazionale umanitario’, in L. Pineschi and M. Arcari (eds), La responsabilità internazionale delle Nazioni Unite tra prassi e codificazione (CEDAM, forthcoming, 2011)
Contact details
Room H209c
Vicarage Street
T: 01582 743 015
E: silvia.borelli@beds.ac.uk
