Biography
Michael A Becker is Assistant Professor of International Human Rights Law. With a broad background in public international law and human rights, Mike's research interests include international courts and tribunals, fact-finding bodies and commissions of inquiry, the law of the sea, and the relationship between international law and global politics (including the role of human rights in foreign policy). At Trinity, Mike delivers modules in Public International Law and International Human Rights Law. He also serves as Dissertation Director of the LLM programme.
Mike's scholarship has appeared in leading international law journals, including the European Journal of International Law, the American Journal of International Law, the Journal of International Dispute Settlement, and the Harvard International Law Journal. He also serves as a correspondent for the Irish Yearbook of International Law. As a law student, Mike served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal of International Law.
Mike holds a law degree from Yale Law School and a B.A. in Political Science and French from Amherst College. He is completing his PhD dissertation at the University of Cambridge as a WM Tapp scholar at Gonville and Caius College. Prior to entering academia, Mike served as an Associate Legal Officer at the International Court of Justice in The Hague from 2010 to 2014. He was previously in private practice at the law firms Allen & Overy LLP in London and Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP in New York City. He has also been a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Sidney H. Stein (S.D.N.Y) in U.S. Federal Court. Mike is a qualified New York attorney and remains admitted to practice.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Christiane Ahlborn and Michael A Becker, Protecting Irish Constitutional Identity on the International Plane: Costello v Government of Ireland", Irish Supreme Court Review, 6, 2024, p81 - 112
Michael A Becker and Cecily Rose, The Return of Not-Quite "Phantom Experts"? The ICJ Meets with IPCC Scientists, Verfassungsblog, 2024
Michael A Becker, Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain: The Role of Civil Society and Other Actors in Decisions to Litigate at the International Court of Justice, Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law, 26, (1), 2023, p90 - 107
Michael A Becker, Ireland and International Law 2020, Irish Yearbook of International Law, 15, 2023, p113 - 141
Michael A Becker, Developments in the International Adjudication of Human Rights Disputes, 6th Global Legal Forum: Global Legal Trends and Future Challenges on Human Rights, Seoul, South Korea (and online), 17 November 2023, 2023, Legal Research Institute of Korea Unversity
Michael A Becker, Review of Jurisprudence of the PCIJ and of the ICJ on Interim Measures of Protection, by Ewa Salkiewicz-Munnerlyn , Heidelberg Journal of International Law, 82, 2022, p513-521
Michael A Becker, Challenging Some Baseline Assumptions About the Evolution of International Commissions of Inquiry, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 55, (3), 2022, p559 - 629
Michael A Becker, The Plight of the Rohingya: Genocide Allegations and Provisional Measures in The Gambia v Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, Melbourne Journal of International Law, 21, (2), 2020, p428 - 449
Michael A Becker and Sarah MH Nouwen, International Commissions of Inquiry: What Difference Do They Make? Taking an Empirical Approach, European Journal of International Law, 30, (3), 2019, p819 - 841
Michael A Becker, Review of Commissions of Inquiry: Problems and Prospects, by Christian Henderson, ed , European Journal of International Law, 28, (4), 2017, p1418-1422
Michael A Becker and Cecily Rose, Investigating the Value of Site Visits in Inter-State Arbitration and Adjudication, Journal of International Dispute Settlement, 8, (2), 2017, p219 - 249
Michael A Becker, Review of Lawfare: Law as a Weapon of War, by Orde F Kittrie , British Yearbook of International Law, 86, (1), 2017, p199-203
Michael A Becker, The Dispute That Wasn't There: Judgments in the Nuclear Disarmament Cases at the International Court of Justice, Cambridge International Law Journal, 6, (1), 2017, p4 - 26
Tadic v Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (1995) in, editor(s)Eirik Bjorge & Cameron Miles , Landmark Cases in Public International Law, London, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017, pp377 - 407, [Michael A Becker and Sarah MH Nouwen]
Michael A Becker, Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), American Journal of International Law, 109, (4), 2015, p851 - 858
Michael A Becker, International Maritime Security Law by James Kraska and Raul Pedrozo, and The Interception of Vessels on the High Seas: Contemporary Challenges to the Legal Order of the Oceans by Efthymios Papastavridis, Review of International Maritime Security Law, by James Kraska & Raul Pedrozo , Irish Yearbook of International Law, 7, 2014, p297-303
Michael A Becker, Sustainable Fisheries and the Obligations of Flag and Coastal States: The Request by the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission for an ITLOS Advisory Opinion, ASIL Insights, 17, (19), 2013
Michael A Becker, Russia and the Arctic: Opportunities for Engagement Within the Existing Legal Framework, American University International Law Review, 25, 2010, p225 - 250
Michael A Becker & Ernesto J Sanchez, International Law of the Sea, International Lawyer, 44, 2010, p519 - 533
Michael A Becker, International Law of the Sea, International Lawyer, 43, 2009, p915 - 928
Michael A Becker & Margaret L. Tomlinson, International Law of the Sea, International Lawyer, 42, 2008, p797 - 809
Michael A Becker, International Law of the Sea, International Lawyer, 41, 2007, p671 - 682
Michael A Becker, The Shifting Public Order of the Oceans: Freedom of Navigation and the Interdiction of Ships at Sea, Harvard International Law Journal, 46, 2005, p131 - 230
Michael A Becker, Managing Diversity in the European Union: Inclusive Citizenship and Third-Country Nationals, Yale Human Rights & Development Law Journal, 7, 2004, p132 - 183
Michael A Becker, Review of The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negotiating Historical Injustices, by Elazar Barkan , Yale Journal of International Law, 27, (2), 2002, p470-473
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Michael A Becker, Desperate Times, Desperate (Provisional) Measures Rafah and South Africa"s Latest Action at the ICJ, Verfassungsblog, 2024
Michael A Becker, 'Episode 23: Unhappy New Year! Genocide in the Courtroom', EJIL: The Podcast!, 2024, -
Michael A Becker, 'Justice Update: All you need to know about ICJ Advisory Opinions', Asymmetrical haircuts: your international justice podcast, 2024, -
Michael A Becker, Trends in International Human Rights Adjudication, Global Legal Trends and Future Challenges on Human Rights, Seoul, South Korea, 17 November 2023, 2023, Legal Research Institute of Korea University
MA Becker, 'Justice Update Palestine and Israel at the ICJ', Asymmetrical Haircuts : the international justice podcast, 13 January 2023, 2023, -
Michael A Becker, The International Court of Justice and Accountability for Mass Violations of Human Rights, International Justice Program (Human Rights Watch), 16 June 2023, 2023, Human Rights Watch
Michael A Becker, Moderator, Developments in Interstate Dispute Settlement at the Regional Human Rights Courts, Developments in Interstate Dispute Settlement at the Regional Human Rights Courts, Online, 13 December 2023, 2023, European Society of International Law
MIchael A Becker, Advisory Opinions and the UNCLOS Regime, Law of the Sea for the Next Generation, Seoul, South Korea, 17 November, 2022, Korean Society of International Law
Michael A Becker, Episode 14: From Russia With War, EJIL: The Podcast!, 6 March, 2022, EJIL
Michael A Becker, International Law and the Ukraine-Russia Conflict, Ukraine-Russia Conflict, ESSEC Business School, 1 March, 2022, ESSEC Business School
Michael A Becker, International Law and the Plight of the Rohingyas: Insights from International Dispute Settlement (webinar), 10 February, 2021, American Society of International Law
Michael A Becker, The Gambia v Facebook: Obtaining Evidence for Use at the International Court of Justice, EJIL:Talk!, 2021
Michael A Becker, Kingsley Abbott, and Bruno Gelinas-Faucher, Why So Secret? The Case for Public Access to Myanmar's Reports on Implementation of the ICJ's Provisional Measures Order, Opinio Juris, 2020
Michael A Becker, From Inside the Peace Palace: The Working Practices of the International Court of Justice, Exploring the Ecosystem of International Law, Jindal Global University, 14 October, 2020, Jindal Global University
Michael A Becker, Do We Need an International Commission of Inquiry for COVID-19?, EJIL:Talk!, 2020
Michael A Becker, International Commissions of Inquiry: What Difference Do They Make?, EJIL: Live!, Cambridge, UK, 15 December, 2019, European Journal of International Law
Michael A Becker, The Challenges for the ICJ in the Reliance on UN Fact-Finding Reports in the Case Against Myanmar, EJIL:Talk!, 2019
Michael A Becker, Commissions of Inquiry: What Difference Do They Make? (workshop), 5-6 January 2017, 2019, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, European Journal of International Law
Michael A Becker, The Possibility of a Case Against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, Conference on the Situation of the Rohingyas, National Assembly, Paris, France, 1 June, 2018
Michael A Becker, The Situation of the Rohingya: Is There a Role for the International Court of Justice?, EJIL:Talk!, 2018
Michael A Becker, The Role of UN Commissions of Inquiry, Human Rights, Transitional Justice, and Environmental Protection Summer School, The Hague, 12 July, 2018, Leiden University
Michael A Becker, Are International Commissions of Inquiry Still a Form of International Dispute Settlement?, Are International Commissions of Inquiry Still a Form of International Dispute Settlement?, Leiden, Netherlands, 3 November, 2017, Grotius Centre, Leiden University
Michael A Becker, International Commissions of Inquiry and the Uses of International Law: A Project Overview, Doctoral Scholarship Conference, Yale Law School, 10 November 2017, 2017, Leiden University
Michael A Becker, 'Pay No Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain': NGOs and the Decision to Pursue Dispute Settlement at the ICJ, International Law Association (British Branch) Spring Conference, Lancaster, UK, 9 April, 2016, International Law Association (British Branch)
Michael A Becker, The EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement: An Opportunity to Influence Japanese Whaling Policies?, The EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement: An Opportunity to Influence Japanese Whaling Policies?, Brussels, 28 June, 2016, European Parliament
Michael A Becker, Japan's New Optional Clause Declaration at the ICJ: A Pre-Emptive Strike?, EJIL:Talk!, 2015
Michael A Becker, The Law of the Sea and Russia"s Claims in the Arctic Circle, Symposium on Russia and the Rule of Law, American University, Washington College of Law, 11 February, 2009
Research Expertise
Recognition
Awards and Honours
WM Tapp PhD Studentship (Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge)
Ambrose Gherini Prize (Yale Law School)
Edward D Robbins Prize (Yale Law School)
Memberships
Member, European Society of International Law
Member, American Society of International Law