Chagos Islands, Ukraine and international law with Philippe Sands

The UK in a Changing Europe Podcast

Professor Philippe Sands KC joins Professor Catherine Barnard to discuss his latest book, 'The Last Colony', which tells the story of the illegal British occupation of the Chagos Islands; the UK's role in the world; as well as Russia's war against Ukraine, from the perspective of international law. ---- Philippe Sands KC is Professor of the Public Understanding of Law at University College London Faculty of Laws and Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is a practising barrister at 11 King’s Bench Walk (11KBW) and appears as counsel before the International Court of Justice and other international courts and tribunals. He sits as an arbitrator in international investment disputes and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He is author of 'Lawless World' (2005) and 'Torture Team'(2008) and numerous academic books on international law, and has contributed to the New York Review of Books, Vanity Fair, the Financial Times, The Guardian and the New York Times. His most recent books are 'East West Street: On the Origins of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide' (2016) (awarded the 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize, the 2017 British Book Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year, and the 2018 Prix Montaigne) and 'The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive' (2020), also available as BBC and France Culture podcasts. His latest book is 'The Last Colony: A Tale of Exile, Justice and Britain’s Colonial Legacy' (2022). Philippe is President of English PEN and a member of the Board of the Hay Festival of Arts and Literature.