Human Rights Centre

The Human Rights Centre "began its life in 1982-83 as an initiative of Professor David Yates, founding Professor of Law. Its first Director was Dr Malcolm Shaw, who was also Director of the new masters degree, the LLM in International Human Rights Law.  The Centre was located within the Law Department and was designated as an international human rights law centre.

"In 1989-90 a new beginning for the Centre commenced, as an interdisciplinary centre for research, publication and teaching.  It was also envisaged that the Centre could be a base for practical engagement in human rights work through consultancy contracts, training and legal practice.  The new Centre was given de facto  responsibility for administering a new degree, the MA in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights.  A new Director was appointed from Law, Professor Kevin Boyle."

"Drawing on the achievements of the Democratic Audit in the United Kingdom the State of Democracy project has developed a framework for carrying out democracy assessments around the world.

"In conjunction with International IDEA in Stockholm, the project published a Handbook of Democracy Assessment, which was then used in eight pilot countries."

The Centre is a member of the World Movement for Democracy's global democracy network.

The Team
Accessed May 2008:


 * Nigel Rodley 	Chair of the Human Rights Centre
 * John Packer 	Director of the Human Rights Centre
 * Will Cartwright 	Deputy Director of the Human Rights Centre and Director of the Undergraduate Human Rights Programme
 * Andrew Fagan 	Deputy Director of the Human Rights Centre and Director of the MA in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights
 * Sheldon Leader 	Research Co-ordinator
 * Anne Slowgrove 	Administrative Director
 * Emma Rix 	Human Rights Educational Programme Administrator, Disability Officer
 * Carol Smith 	Human Rights Centre Secretary
 * Jane Porter 	Secretary, International Journal of Refugee Law
 * Kai Yin Low 	Grant Application Writer

Senior Researchers
Accessed May 2008:


 * Gunilla Backman
 * Judith Bueno de Mesquita (currently on maternity leave)
 * Louise Finer (maternity cover for Judith Bueno de Mesquita)
 * Kerman Calvo
 * Rajat Khosla
 * Wim Muller
 * Helen Potts
 * Maxwell Madzikanga

Publications

 * International Journal of Refugee Law (IJRL)

Contact

 * Web: http://www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Stuart Weir]