Brianne McGonigle Leyh appointed Professor of Global Justice Studies

As of 1 July 2025, Brianne McGonigle Leyh has been appointed Professor of Global Justice Studies at Utrecht University’s School of Law. In a time when the rule of law is under direct threat both nationally and internationally, McGonigle Leyh sees an important role for universities and societal partners to work together to strengthen and protect justice worldwide. The chair has a distinct focus on bringing researchers and students from various disciplines together to work on global justice challenges.

The news of her appointment came out right after a large conference of the Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab, which she leads. McGonigle Leyh was still beaming, inspired by the panels on environmental protection, academic research and human rights accountability, with experts from Airwars, Bellingcat, Milieudefensie, WITNESS and more. It was so great to bring people together, researchers, students, but also journalists, open-source investigators, and activists. All committed to the pursuit of human rights, truth and transparency. Even in a time when global justice institutes and structures are under direct attack, I feel very hopeful.

Even in a time when global justice is under attack, I feel very hopeful

Community Engaged Learning

The Open-Source Global Justice Investigations Lab connects students, researchers, and civil society actors to explore innovative methods for documenting and addressing human rights violations and environmental harms. Partners are, among others, PAX, Free Press Unlimited, The Financial Times London, Bellingcat, Airwars, Milieudefensie. “There are several media-related partners, as we believe journalists and media play a substantive role in safeguarding global justice processes by uncovering the truth, countering disinformation, and holding actors and institutions to account”, says McGonigle Leyh.

Amongst other investigations, the Lab has investigated attacks on journalists reporting from protests around the world, as well as cases of environmental harm in Malaysia and mob violence in Nigeria. It has also investigated police actions against pro-Palestinian student protests at Utrecht University. The Lab is an example of Community Engaged Learning (CEL), an innovative form of education, equipping students with interdisciplinary skills and real-world activities, generating impact with societal partners. There are researchers and teachers involved from Conflict Studies, Computer Science, Cultural Anthropology, Law, Media Studies, and more.

The transdisciplinarity aspect of Chair is hugely important to my new role, as we seek to build bridges with community partners”, says McGonigle Leyh. “In my new role, through both education and research, I will explore the ethical, social, political, and legal dimensions of justice in a global context, with a focus on international law, transitional justice, human rights, and global governance. The chair will contribute to the Faculty’s and University’s ambitions around impact and community-engaged learning.

I will explore the ethical, social, political, and legal dimensions of justice in a global context

Promoting justice across societies

The field of Global Justice Studies connects political theory, law, and ethics to the broader aim of  promoting justice across societies, while fostering the concept of global citizenship, where individuals and institutions work collaboratively to address global challenges such as conflict, inequality, and environmental harm.

The challenges are widely known. The US Government’s sanctioning of the prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court is just one of the recent examples, undermining the rule of law and corroding the administration of justice. In response, the Netherlands, Europe and international actors should reflect on our shared values and legal commitments, McGonigle Leyh says.

As a university, we should also be critical of ourselves

The role of universities

The role of universities in contributing to global justice is a key focus of the new chair. The university is a space to create positive change — but it must also be a space for critical self-reflection. There is growing awareness of how universities, through their policies and practices, shape global inequities and social justice issues. We need to ask ourselves: what do we still need to understand better? And how can we ensure that our work contributes to reducing — rather than reinforcing — global inequalities, especially in areas such as access to education, representation, knowledge production, and the impact of policies across different regions of the world?