LawPod

In this episode of Part 3, Julia Viebach speaks with Gina Cabarcas Maciá, co-founder and director of the Political and Criminal Justice Lab in Bogota, about the vital role of records in Colombia's transitional justice process. With over 50 years of armed conflict and multiple transitional justice mechanisms operating since 2006, Colombia has developed a complex approach to documenting human rights violations—from judicial records and physical artifacts to testimonies from perpetrators, victims, and communities.The conversation explores how different types of records—including judicial files, testimonies, and digitalized archives—contribute to establishing truth, documenting gendered violence, and locating disappeared persons. Gina discusses the Colombian Truth Commission's groundbreaking decision to digitalize all testimonies and the challenges of coordinating between multiple mechanisms. She also highlights the ongoing challenge of securing collective accountability from state actors and the critical role civil society organizations play in preserving intelligence archives and documenting what has been silenced.About: Gina Cabarcas Maciá is a lawyer and historian who serves as co-founder and director of the Political and Criminal Justice Lab in Bogota. She coordinates support projects for Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace and leads the systematization and analysis of information across multiple transitional justice initiatives. Her work bridges criminal investigation with historical documentation, combining expertise in human rights violations documentation with decolonial approaches to transitional justice.More information: Political and Criminal Justice Lab, Colombia's Truth Commission, Unit for the Search of Disappeared Persons, Special Jurisdiction for PeaceThe 3-part series "Can the record be trusted?" explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queen's University Belfast in November 2024.

This episode introduces the accountability project ISIS Prisons Museum. In her conversation, Dagmar Hovestädt explores the origins and methodology of this long-term investigation with its co-director Amr Khito and web developer Alan Woo. The team behind the ISIS Prisons Museum, for short IPM, documents former prison sites and mass graves of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and turns them into 3D tours and online investigations for families, researchers, and prosecutors.  Prisons were a central instrument of ISIS rule. Ordinary schools, churches, houses or even a stadium were turned into detention sites, and the IPM revealed systematic patterns of repression and crimes by documenting and analyzing more than 100 such places. The investigations combine spatial documentation and 3D modeling of former prison sites with left-behind administrative documents and hundreds of witness testimonies of former detainees.   The project is rooted in Syrian journalists’ and ex-prisoners’ own experiences; trust comes from shared histories of imprisonment and exile, and from a deliberate choice to center survivors’ voices in how ISIS’s crimes are remembered. Few weeks after the recording of this episode, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country and the door to investigate the horrendous crimes in Syrian state prisons was opened. The Prisons Museum team launched its second project in September of 2025, the Syria Prisons Museum.   ABOUT: Amr Khito is a Syrian journalist, former political prisoner, and co-director of the Prisons Museum. He began documenting the Syrian uprising in 2011 together with other journalists and filmmakers and later shifted to coordinate 3D recording of emptied prison buildings, hundreds of witness interviews and research with affected families.   Alan Woo is a designer and web developer who works at the intersection of visual communication, data architecture, and social justice. Drawing on training in graphic design, he develops digital infrastructures and interfaces for the Prisons Museum, focusing on organizing large-scale visual and documentary evidence so it becomes searchable and meaningful for families, researchers, and investigators.   More information: https://prisons.museum   https://syria.prisons.museum   https://isis.prisons.museum  The 3-part series “Can the record be trusted?” explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queens University Belfast in November 2024. 

What happens when the law meets the natural world? In this episode of LawPod, Dr Jocelyn Bosse joins Dr Ciarán O'Kelly to explore the fascinating intersection of intellectual property rights, biodiversity, and food security. Fresh from being awarded the prestigious UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, Dr Bosse shares insights from her ambitious research project, ‘A Century of Propertising Plants: examining the role of intellectual property law in protecting biodiversity and food security’, which examines how plant IP laws have influenced agriculture over the past hundred years—and what that means for the future. From the origins of plant patents in the 1930s to today’s debates on CRISPR gene editing, this conversation unpacks the tensions between innovation and biodiversity, the role of law in shaping science, and the global implications for food security. Whether you’re curious about how IP law affects what ends up on your plate or the ethical questions behind controlling nature, this episode offers a deep dive into one of the most overlooked areas of law. A PhD studentship funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE) is also available with Dr Bosse. https://law.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/news/qub-dfe-plants-biodiversity-food-security.html  

In this opening episode of Part 3, Ulrike Lühe talks to Nataliia Gladkova about preserving digital evidence of human rights violations in Ukraine. Nataliia is the Ukrainian Archive Program Manager at Mnemonic, where she oversees the collection and verification of over 7.6 million open-source records—including satellite imagery and social media content, predominantly from Telegram—documenting the impact of Russia's invasion. The conversation explores how digital tools have transformed documentation work, from automated collection systems to AI-assisted analysis, while maintaining rigorous verification standards. A key theme is balancing accessibility with protection: ensuring the Ukrainian people's right to know while addressing security concerns, privacy protections, and evidentiary requirements for legal accountability. Nataliia also discusses cross-archival collaborations with the Syrian Archive to examine patterns of Russian military actions across conflicts. About: Nataliia Gladkova was the Ukraine Archive Program Manager at Mnemonic, overseeing the collection and preservation of over 7.6 million digital records documenting human rights violations in Ukraine. She coordinated confidential investigations for war crimes units and international justice actors, and participated in academic consortiums exploring AI applications in human rights documentation. More information: Mnemonic, Ukrainian Archive, Syrian Archive The 3-part series "Can the record be trusted?" explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queen's University Belfast in November 2024.

In this episode of LawPod, Professor Lydia Bleasdale from the University of Leeds joins Dr Norah Burns to share her journey and insights in the field of legal education. Professor Bleasdale talks about her unexpected path to studying law, the impact of inspiring mentors, and her work as the Director of Community and Belonging at the Law School. She outlines her research on student resilience, the importance of understanding diverse student needs, and how to better support introverted students. The conversation also touches on the challenges and opportunities posed by AI in legal education and the Connecting Legal Education network's role in fostering innovative teaching practices.Highlighting personal experiences and professional advice, this episode offers valuable perspectives for current and future legal educators.

This episode invites you to a conversation Ulrike Lühe has with Ahmed Abofoul, international human rights lawyer at the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq. Speaking from his deep experience documenting grave violations against Palestinians under Israeli occupation, Ahmed reveals the challenges and stakes of building an evidentiary record amid protracted conflict and state obstruction. The methodological rigor of Al-Haq’s evidence collection—including on-the-ground fieldwork, open-source investigations, and advanced digital tools employed in a joint project with Forensic Architecture—ensures their documentation is admissible in courts and withstands political pressure and scrutiny. Ahmed reflects on the contextualising of discrete violations within broader patterns of occupation and apartheid is essential for understanding and legally characterising the situation. While digititilisation enhances accessibility and verification, he reminds us that it brings unique risks under occupation, requiring careful balance between transparency and the protection of sources and witnesses. About: Ahmed Abofoul is a Gaza-born international lawyer and Senior Legal Researcher and Advocacy Officer at Al-Haq, a leading Palestinian human rights organisation based in Ramallah. Now based in The Hague, he specialises in documenting violations of international law and advocating before global accountability mechanisms. With extensive field and legal expertise, Abouful is recognised for his meticulous work supporting justice for Palestinians. More Information: Al Haq home page / Forensic Architecture Investigation Unit / Forensic Architecture home page The 3-part series “Can the record be trusted?” explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queens University Belfast in November 2024.

In this episode of Law Pod, host Kenneth Elo interviews Professor Warren Barr, the new head of the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast. Professor Barr shares insights into his career journey, which spans nearly three decades and includes leadership roles at major UK law schools such as Liverpool, Cardiff, and Birmingham. He discusses his educational philosophy, the significance of soft skills in legal education, and his vision for the future of Queen's Law School. The conversation also explores transformative experiences in legal education, the impact of generative AI, and the importance of striking a balance between ambition and a healthy work-life balance. Professor Barr emphasises the value of co-curricular activities and encourages students and staff to engage and collaborate openly.

The next episode in the series “Can the record be trusted?” explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queens University Belfast in November 2024. In this episode Dagmar Hovestadt talks to Marija Ristic about the cutting edge of digital evidence in contemporary human rights investigations. Marija is the head of Amnesty International’s Digital Evidence Lab. In the conversation she shares how multidisciplinary teams combine field research, satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, and digital communication to document complex crises such as Gaza and Iran. Marija reflects on the fact that digital evidence now plays a central role in documenting human rights violations, especially in inaccessible or highly dangerous environments such as Gaza and Iran. While Amnesty International’s processes are rigorous, they constantly must adapt to different contexts, balancing authenticity, security, and privacy concerns in the collection and use of records. A recent exciting initiative in this field is the Digital Verification Corps in which new generations of volunteers contribute to accountability efforts and document with digital tools, multiplying research capacity and supporting large-scale investigations. About: Marija Ristic is a seasoned human rights investigator heading Amnesty International’s Digital Evidence Lab, focusing on crisis zones and digital documentation. She coordinates the Digital Verification Corps, mentoring global university teams in digital investigation and ethical verification practices. Marija draws on her background of reporting on post-Yugoslav war crimes, blending legal expertise with innovative research approaches. More information: Amnesty Evidence Lab Digital Verification Corps

In this episode of LawPod, Dr Eithne Dowds, a senior lecturer in law at Queen’s University Belfast, is joined by Professor Julia Quilter from the University of Wollongong, Australia. They discuss Professor Quilter's research on rape law reform and intoxication evidence in rape trials and compare the legal landscapes in Northern Ireland and Australia. The conversation touches on historical and contemporary evolution of the laws, the impact of intoxication evidence, and the challenges of addressing rape myths within the courtroom. Dr Dowds and Professor Quilter explore the complex dynamics of legal reforms aiming to protect victims and improve the courtroom experience for complainants while ensuring a fair trial for defendants. Points of comparison between Northern Ireland and Australia highlight the ongoing struggle to bridge the gap between progressive legal reforms and real-world courtroom practice. The episode brings to light how these issues play out across different legal systems.

In this episode, Dr Ulrike Lühe speaks with Raji Abdul Salam, Chief Legal Data Archive Analyst at the Reckoning Project. In this conversation, Raji reveals how analysing thousands of testimonies uncovered the systematic genocide against Yazidi people—patterns invisible in individual cases. The conversation explores why "immutability" is sacred in digital evidence, how AI both accelerates and threatens documentation work, and a provocative question: with unlimited storage capacity, should we archive everything? "I always trust the archive that has a methodology," Raji argues. "But I don't trust the people who manage it."About: Raji Abdul Salam is Chief Legal Data Archive Analyst at the Reckoning Project, with extensive experience documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, including building legal cases under universal jurisdiction.More information: The Reckoning ProjectThe 3-part series "Can the record be trusted?" explores the prospects and challenges of human rights documentation and archives in the digital age, with speakers from an international expert workshop that took place at Queens University Belfast in November 2024.