We’re pleased to share that updates to the International Law in Belgian Courts (ILBC) database have resumed!

The ILBC database aims to collect and organize judgments of Belgian courts and tribunals that engage with public international law, including topics such as immunities, jurisdiction, international criminal law, and more. Each case includes a full-text version of the judgement (in the original language) and a concise English summary highlighting its relevance to public international law.

Call for submissions!

Have you come across Belgian case-law touching on matters of public international law in your studies or practice? We warmly invite students, researchers, and practitioners to contribute to the database. More information can be found on the ILBC website and questions/submissions can be sent to grili@ugent.be.

Some of the latest additions include (contributions by Frederik Rogiers, Quinten DeGroote, Maxime Nijs, and Ioannis Bamnios):

• The judgment of the Leuven Assize Court of 14 December 2023, convicting former Guatemalan officials for crimes against humanity and applying the concept of joint criminal enterprise as a mode of liability;
• The judgment of the Belgian Supreme Court of 8 April 2024, addressing State immunity in employment disputes and the distinction between acta jure imperii and gestionis;
• The judgment of the Brussels Court of Appeal of 2 December 2024, recognising the forcible removal of mixed-race children during colonial times as crimes against humanity and confirming their non-prescriptibility;
• The decision of the Board for Maritime Investigation of 3 June 2025, examining the definition of a warship under UNCLOS and the applicability of the Maritime Labour Convention;
• The judgment of the Belgian Supreme Court of 29 July 2025, clarifying the “reasonable period” during which diplomats continue to benefit from immunity after their posting has ended.

On 8 October 2026, Professor Louis Kotzé will give a public lecture as part of the 2026-27 International Order & Justice Lecture Series at Ghent University (Doctoral schools, Volume V).  The topic of the lecture and further practical details will be communicated closer to the event. Professor Kotzé will also take part in a closed seminar with (post-)doctoral researchers.

Professor Kotzé is Chair of the Law Group and Professor of Law at Wageningen University. His research encompasses five interrelated themes: international environmental law; human rights and the environment; the Sustainable Development Goals; law and governance for the Anthropocene; and earth system law.