News & events 2026

There is currently no shortage of commentaries on the relevance of international law, and the prohibition to use force in particular, as the world undergoes geopolitical upheaval. For Western policy-makers, the challenge to international law – or the so called ‘rules-based order’ – is often laid squarely on Russia, China and Iran. However, over the past year Canada, the UK, and other European states, with a few exceptions, have done little to challenge the US’s unjustified uses of force in Venezuela and Iran, and have stood idly by as Israelillegally intervenes throughout the Middle East. In some cases, they have suggested that these interventions are legitimate and have questioned the relevance, or utility, of international law.

On 29 May, GRILI is pleased to welcome back Prof. Alexandra Hofer (Utrecht University) to our faculty for a thought-provoking seminar on the law on the use of force, entitled: “Article 2(4) is Dead; Long Live Article 2(4)!”

During this seminar, Prof. Hofer will argue that because of the importance of regulating the use of force in inter-state relations, Article 2(4) may be revisited and revised, but it will not die. The same, however, cannot be said about the reputation and credibility of those who breach it and who do not defend it. The stakes are especially high for actors such as the US and the European Union who portray themselves as ‘enforcers’ of the ‘rules-based order’.

Practical details:

• Date and time: Friday 29 May, 13:30-14:30
• Location: ICRP ‘Liberty’ meeting room (Emile Braunschool, 3rd floor)
• Registration: This event is open to all interested participants. Please register by emailing grili@ugent.be no later than 28 May.

On 19 May 2026, Frederik Rogiers (PhD researcher and teaching assistant) delivered a guest lecture on the law of naval warfare as part of the 28th edition of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) lecture series, organised by the Belgian Red Cross in Mechelen. The session brought together a diverse audience of students, legal practitioners, government officials, and participants without a legal background. In this setting, the lecture explored the growing relevance of international humanitarian law in the maritime domain, particularly in light of today’s evolving geopolitical context. Key topics addressed during the lecture included: the application of international humanitarian law at sea and its relationship with the law of the sea, means and methods of naval warfare including the use of exclusion zones, blockade, mines and submarines, as well as the importance of soft law instruments such as the San Remo and Newport Manual.

Last week, GRILI researcher Quinten DeGroote was called upon by prof. James Kraska to appear as a facilitator at the Law of Naval Warfare Academy in Lisbon, Portugal! The Academy brought together government officials, military legal advisers and academics to deepen their understanding of the law of naval warfare, an area that has firmly returned to the forefront of international attention. During the mornings, participants learned from leading experts in the field, including Prof. Wolff von Heinegg, Prof. David Letts and Prof. James Kraska. In the afternoons, academics like Quinten were given the responsibility of facilitating small-group, scenario-based exercises and guiding participants as they applied legal principles to real-world situations.

This edition of the Academy was hosted by the NATO Maritime GEOMETOC Centre of Excellence and organised by the NATO Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW), together with the Stockton Center for International Law of the U.S. Naval War College.

New publication out by GRILI-member, Yiannis Bamnios in Opinio Juris:

The article examines the legal risks of using mixed convoys—specifically those combining U.S. (a belligerent) and neutral naval escorts—to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s closure. Under the Law of Naval Warfare, only convoys composed entirely of neutral merchant ships escorted solely by neutral warships are exempt from visit, search, or attack. Any involvement of U.S. or other belligerent warships renders the entire convoy a lawful military target. The piece warns that proposed multinational escort arrangements could unintentionally forfeit neutrality protections and expose participating vessels to legitimate force.

Read the full article 'here'

To what extent do imperial and Soviet legal traditions continue to shape today’s international legal order? And how do these historical frameworks influence contemporary understandings of statehood and sovereignty?
These questions lie at the heart of Professor Lauri Mälksoo’s (University of Tartu) latest monograph, Russia, the Soviet Union, and Imperial Continuity in International Law (Oxford University Press 2025).

On 27 April 2026, GRILI and the Ghent Legal History Institute are pleased to welcome Professor Mälksoo to our Faculty for an expert seminar on his new book. The event takes place within the framework of the FWO Senior Research Project ‘Soviet Approaches to Emergency’ and will be moderated by Dr Alina Cherviatsova.

Practical details:
• Timing: 18:30 – 20:00
• Location: Campus Aula, Universiteitstraat (Room 8.1)
• Registration is required through ‘this link’.

On 21 April 2026, Frederik Rogiers (PhD researcher and teaching assistant) delivered a guest lecture at HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen, addressed to students enrolled in the four-year Bachelor programme to become a Maritime Officer (HBO Maritiem Officier). His lecture focused on the growing importance of maritime security in today’s geopolitical and economic environment. As future maritime officers, the students were introduced to the complex realities they may encounter in their professional careers at sea, including the increasing number of maritime security threats from piracy and smuggling to hybrid and state-led activities; the legal framework governing maritime operations both in peace and in times of conflict, current challenges such as the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and the rise of "shadow fleets", as well as the resurgence of naval warfare. The lecture aimed to show that modern maritime professionals must operate at the intersection of technical, economic, and legal considerations - reflecting the increasingly complex environment in which global shipping takes place.

On 2 April, GRILI and the Ghent European Law Institute (GELI) are pleased to invite you to a lunch seminar examining the international and European legal questions surrounding the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank.

The seminar will feature presentations by Philippe Kehl, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant at Bucerius Law School (Hamburg), who will address key issues arising under international law, including questions of State immunity and the law of State responsibility, and by Professor Peter Van Elsuwege, who will explore the matter from the perspective of European Union law, focusing in particular on the legal bases of EU sanctions and the reparations loans granted to Ukraine.

Practical details:

• Date and time: 2 April 2026, 12:00–13:30
• Venue: Room Fairness, Faculty of Law and Criminology
• Registration: This seminar is open to all interested participants upon registration. Please confirm your attendance by contacting kristien.ballegeer@ugent.be