Blavatnik Book Talk: The ICJ and Multi-forum Litigation Strategy
Date & Time
Thu, 29 Jan 2026
12:30 - 13:30
Venue
Blavatnik School of Government
Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG
Tickets
Get ticketsWhy you should come
AI-powered• Hear Nikolaos Voulgaris explain how states instrumentalise the ICJ as a diplomatic weapon.
• Debate with Philippa Webb whether multi-forum litigation erodes international law's authority.
• Analyze how strategic litigation transforms the ICJ from a legal arbiter into a crisis manager.
About this event
This event features a discussion on Nikolaos Voulgaris’ recent monograph, 'The ICJ and Multi-forum Litigation Strategy'. The talk explores how inter-State multi-forum litigation is multiplying in the modern world, creating a risk where courts like the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may become diplomatic platforms for airing State grievances. The session will draw inferences from legal and political sciences to assess ICJ authority when crises are brought before it as part of a strategic li...
Event Highlights
- •Analysis of the ICJ's role in modern multi-forum litigation strategies.
- •Discussion on the 'instrumentalisation' of international courts by States.
- •Examination of how crisis management affects the authority of international law.
- •Presentation of Nikolaos Voulgaris’ 2025 monograph from Brill publishing.
Speakers
Nikolaos Voulgaris
Professor of International Law, European Law and Governance School
Nikolaos Voulgaris is a Professor of International Law at the European Law and Governance School and an Adjunct Professor at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is a Fellow at the Centre of International Governance and Dispute Resolution of King’s College London and at the Athens Public International Law Centre. He is the author of 'The ICJ and Multi-forum Litigation Strategy' (Brill, 2025).
Philippa Webb
Professor of Public International Law at the Blavatnik School of Government
Philippa Webb is Co-founder and Director of the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice and a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Her research interests span all of Public International Law, with particular expertise in international dispute settlement, human rights, and international organizations law. Her current research concerns how justice systems can support flourishing societies.
Programme
Blavatnik Book Talk: The ICJ and Multi-forum Litigation Strategy
Presentation by Nikolaos Voulgaris followed by discussion on the impact of multi-forum litigation on international court authority.
Gallery
What to bring / Requirements
- •Open to the public
- •Free to attend
- •Registration required
Organized by: Blavatnik School of Government
Contact: enquiries@bsg.ox.ac.uk