Dr Yassin Brunger (Queen’s University Belfast) has been a Visiting Fellow at the ANU College of Law since 1 July 2024. As she nears the end of her fellowship, she sat down with us to talk about her experience at the College, her current research and what is next for her as she returns to Belfast. 

What are your research interests?

My research interests are driven by the central question of the gaps between law and justice in the aftermath of mass violence and conflict. My specialism is rooted in international criminal law, transitional justice, and human rights from critical approaches such as feminism, critical race, and decolonial or postcolonial perspectives.

What motivated you to come to the ANU College of Law as a Visiting Fellow?

A visit to the ANU College of Law was an unmissable opportunity for me to immerse myself in a vibrant intellectual community. The abundance of world-leading experts at the College would undoubtedly have a transformative impact on my research ideas, which are academic gold dust. This transformative impact is not just a personal gain but a significant contribution to the field of law.

How have you found your time so far at the College/Canberra?

It has been a wonderful experience being at the College. Colleagues have been incredibly welcoming and warm, and I have had many fruitful conversations about my ideas over coffee, lunch, or even in the corridors. This College has shown me that academic writing, though often solitary, can be generative and joyful when surrounded by a generous and intellectual community of scholars. The joy and productivity I’ve experienced here have been a source of inspiration and motivation for my work.

As for Canberra, I have had a memorable time here. It is a city with much to offer as a base for writing, exploring and discovering. The National Gallery, the Botanic Gardens, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and the wineries around Canberra are particular must-dos.

Your visitor's seminar is entitled as 'Pan-African Worldmaking, the ICC and the UN Security Council'. Why have you chosen to speak on this topic?

The paper reflects the genesis of the ideas that anchor my book project. The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Security Council are powerful global institutions often called upon to respond to mass violence and conflict. Yet both have demonstrated significant limitations and shortfalls that have faced critique from legal scholars, diplomats, and civil society. However, I want to contextualise and challenge us to revisit these institutions and their ‘justice work’ through the lens of Pan-African intellectual thought. Pan-Africanism is not just confined to a conversation about re-visiting history but, as I argue, has significant contemporary and futuristic relevance to international law and practice. I want to add to the ongoing discussions on “worlding”, that is, the academic agenda of drawing insights from Western and non-Western worldviews, with my particular focus being ‘justice work’ undertaken in Africa. By doing this, I hope my work contributes to and inspires the disruption and reimagination of international legal practice by scholars and practitioners examining the work of the ICC and the Security Council.

What is next for you beyond your ANU fellowship?

When I return to Belfast, it will be the Autumn teaching term, so I am excited about sharing with students many of the influences and reading materials inspired by this visit. I am also looking forward to the book project coming out next year, and I hope to be back here at the College as part of my book tour.

Dr Yassin Brunger is a Lecturer in Human Rights Law at Queen’s University, Belfast and a Fellow of Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security, and Justice.