The Exchange

How do you pronounce uclhrr without sounding like Gollum with a cold?

What is it anyway?

At the risk of disappointing all ye Lord of the Rings fans, the UCL Human Rights Review is the latest endeavour of the UCL Student Human Rights Programme, which was recently ushered into the pantheon of academic legal writing by Baroness Hale of Richmond, Judge Spielmann of the European Court of Human Rights and our very own Dr George Letsas and Professor Dawn Oliver of the UCL Faculty Laws.

Wednesday the 29th of October 2008 marked the end of a year long work-in-progress and the initiation into public life for the Review; which it is hoped will over the years, stand the tests of time, criticism and ‘review’ and develop into the signature publication of UCL’s vibrant human rights community. The first edition of the UCLHRR offers a unique collection of original, cutting edge and thought provoking papers by UCL faculty members and students, which represent the complex, fascinating, dynamic and at times infuriating character of human rights.

At the launch of the review, following Editor-in-Chief Sonalini De Zoysa Gunasekera and Dr Letsas’ affectionate and resounding welcome presentations, over 150 students, academics, practitioners and well-wishers were treated to three outstanding speeches from three giants in the human rights field. Baroness Hale, who first took the stage, offered useful insight into how recent UK jurisprudence is showing signs of moving away from the much criticised ‘mirror’ principle. Justice Spielmann then spoke of trends in the European Court of Human Rights which would no doubt be ‘mirrored’ by courts across the world. Finally, Professor Oliver closed the launch with an insightful analysis of citizen’s (as opposed to citizens’) rights.

Food for the brain was followed by food and drink for the body, as the invitees gathered in the Cloisters for a time of fellowship. Like the sushi served at the reception, the UCLHRR too stands as a raw but sumptuous prospect.

Publication of the UCLHRR and the launch event was kindly made possible through the assistance of a UCL Futures Award