Professor Elvira Dominguez-Redondo
Faculties, deparments and locations
- Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
- Department of Law
- School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Penrhyn Road
Professor of Law
About
I started as Professor in International Law at Kingston in 2023, prior to which I held full-time academic positions at Middlesex University (UK), University of Ulster (UK), Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland) and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain).
I spent two periods working for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Switzerland) and have held visiting positions at Columbia University (USA), University Alcalá de Henares (Spain), and Max Plank Institute (Germany). I was also a member of the teaching staff for the 2023 Human Rights summer course at Oxford University (UK).
Over the past 25 years, I have taught, researched, and delivered conferences and training courses in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. My teaching, research, and engagement with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental bodies are informed by transnational, interdisciplinary, multilingual, and multifaceted professional experiences that characterise my professional trajectory.
Qualifications
- PhD, 2004 - Topic: United Nations Special Procedures of the Commission on Human Rights
- MA, 1998 - Philosophy and Human Rights Law (2 years degree)
- LLB, 1995 - Licenciatura en Derecho (4 years degree)
- BA Business, 1996 - Diplomatura en Empresariales (3 years degree)
- Fellow, UK Higher Education Authority, 2018
Domains
I have designed and taught over a dozen undergraduate and postgraduate modules at different academic institutions, specialising in international law and human rights. My teaching and learning experience has included the design of curricular and extracurricular courses and leading teams for their delivery in different continents with different legal and pedagogical traditions. The credit-bearing modules I have led include Public International Law, Human Rights in the UK, International Human Rights, International Commercial Arbitration, International Organisations and Dispute Resolution, Humanitarian Law, Consular and Diplomatic Law, Minority Rights and European Union Law.
My experience of innovative courses is reflected in my key role in shaping and delivering LLMs specialised in human rights in five different Universities (Ulster, Middlesex, Irish Centre for Human Rights, Alcalá de Henares and Carlos III). In partnership with colleagues from Duhok University (Kurdistan), I co-designed the first LLM in Human Rights in Iraq.
My experience designing and delivering innovative courses is also reflected in the design and delivery of intensive short professional courses: UN politics and human rights (Irish Centre for Human Rights, 2013) and Crisis Confidence in Human Rights (Middlesex University, 2014). I also delivered CPD courses on women's rights at Matrix Chambers with Professor Chinkin in 2014 and 2015.
Qualifications
- Public International Law, especially United Nations Institutions and Title to Territory
- Minority Rights
- International Human Rights Mechanisms at United Nations and Regional Level
- Affirmative Action Measures
- Relationship between Development, Security and Human Rights
- Interplay between Politics, Human Rights and International Law
Courses taught
My publications contest key assumptions informing legal literature, as reflected in two Oxford University Press books: "Minority Rights in Asia" (with J Castellino) providing comparative insights on minority protection models beyond literature narrowly focused on national minorities; and "In Defense of Politicisation of Human Rights", corroborating my hypothesis that politicisation is beneficial to human rights agendas.
I was first in publishing a positive evaluation of the United Nations Universal Period Review (UPR) in 2018, debunking the presumption that inter-governmental, peer-review processes could not yield improvements of human rights situations. These findings were published in the Chinese Journal of International Law, Canadian Yearbook of International Law (with E McMahon) and New Zealand Law Review. These papers led a shift in the scholarship on the UPR and renowned authors (Cowell, Schabas, Shah, Sivakumaran and Vengoechea) have since tested the hypothesis I left open, i.e., that UPR recommendations could trigger the emergence of customary law.
I co-edited two books (Routledge, 2020 and UNOESC, Brazil, 2017) that present collective research and knowledge transfer activities between academics and practitioners in Latin America, China, the UK, the European Union, and India on affirmative action.
In other publications, I explore barriers that contradict the complementarity between human rights, development and security and emphasize the added value of rights approaches to trade, aid and the Covid pandemic. Another strand of my research focuses on title to territory regarding "forgotten territories", such as Dokdo/Takeshima and Western Sahara, which also form key case studies alongside other live scenarios in my teaching of the discipline.
Qualifications
- International Law
- Minority Rights
- International Human Rights mechanisms
- Affirmative Actions
- Relationship between Human Rights, Development and Security
- Interplay between politics, human rights and international law
Specialisms
- United Nations Institutions
- Title to Territory
- Minority Rights
- International Organisations and Dispute Resolution
- International Human Rights Mechanisms
My knowledge transfer activities include capacity building for judges, parliamentarians, practitioners, civil society organisations and diplomats in Europe (e.g. participation in European-China Expert Dialogue over 5 years), Asia (e.g. capacity building with the Indian Supreme Court), the Americas (e.g. training of Ombudspersons with the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights). Within the UK, I have trained staff members of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Venezuelan Parliamentarians on the rule of law (Westminster Foundation) and have addressed the House of Commons on Tibet and Mexico.
I have participated in transnational networks, including governmental bodies, international organisations, civil society and academic institutions, such as the Latin-American Network and the European-China Diplomatic and Expert Dialogue.
I have worked with over 50 academic institutions and maintain meaningful national and international partnerships with a wide range of non-governmental and governmental bodies that have contributed to generating research impact and reputational gains for the institutions I have worked for.
I have worked in different capacities with current and former UN Special Rapporteurs and members of UN human rights committees. I have nurtured strong relationships with several bodies linked to the system of protection of human rights, e.g. the Brazilian Institute of Human Rights, University of UNOESC and the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Protection of Human Rights.
My professional memberships include the Advisory Group of the think-tank Universal Rights Group, the Spanish Association of International Law and the Society of Legal Scholars.
As a member of the Universal Periodic Review Academic Network (UPRAN) since April 2022, I am part of a group of academics around the world sharing findings on our research on this mechanism.
Publications
Affirmative actions and the law : efficacy of national and international approaches
(2021). Abingdon, U.K.: (Routledge)
In defense of politicization of human rights : the UN special procedures
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2020). New York, U.S.: (Oxford University Press)
(2018). Santa Catarina, Brazil: (Unoesc)
Minority rights in Asia : a comparative legal analysis
Castellino, Joshua and Domínguez Redondo, Elvira (2006). Oxford, U.K.: (Oxford University Press)
Los procedimientos públicos especiales de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas = [The special public procedures of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights]
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira (2005). Valencia, Spain: (Tirant lo Blanch)
Textos básicos de derechos humanos : con estudios generales y especiales y comentarios a cada texto nacional e internacional = [Basic texts on human rights : with general and special studies and comments on each national and international text]
Peces-Barba Martínez, Gregorio, Llamas Gascón, Ángel, Fernández Liesa, Carlos R., Barranco Avilés, María del Carmen, Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, Escudero Alday, Rafael, Pavón Pérez, Juan Antonio and Rodríguez Uribes, José Manuel (2001). Elcano, Spain: (Editorial Aranzadi)
Russian misuse of international law is final nail in coffin of post WW2 order
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2022, IntLawGrrls
Unilateral and extraterritorial sanctions symposium : enforcing human rights - the dilemma between sanctions' effectiveness and their legality
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2022, Opinio Juris
Book Review of: 'The Palgrave handbook of critical menstruation' edited by Chris Bobel et al.
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira, 2021, Human Rights Quarterly (43), 2, pp 410-416
Spain : one pandemic and two versions of the state of alarm
Cebada Romero, Alicia and Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2021, Verfassungsblog
Book Review of: 'The UN Human Rights Council. A practical anatomy' by Eric Tistounet
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2021, Nordic Journal of Human Rights (39), 3, pp 395-397
Have your cake and eat it too : the impossible stance on the Syrian strike
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2018, IntLawGrrls : voices on international law, policy, practice
UK’s lost seat at the International Court of Justice : a reflection on the authority of the Security Council
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2017, IntLawGrrls : voices on international law, policy, practice
La crisis de los derechos humanos : necesidad de un cambio de discurso y estrategias = [Confidence crisis in human rights : the need of rethinking strategies]
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira, 2017, Revista ESMAT (9), 14, pp 103-114
The Assange saga : who does the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention represent?
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2016, IntLawGrrls : voices on international law, policy, practice
Guest post : General Court of the European Union annuls the EU-Morocco Free Trade Agreement on human rights grounds but forgets self-determination
Bernaz, Nadia and Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2015, Opinio Juris
The title to Dokdo / Takeshima : addressing the legacy of World War II territorial settlements / finding the right settlement of dispute mechanism
Castellino, Joshua and Domínguez Redondo, Elvira, 2015, International Journal on Minority and Group Rights (22), 4, pp 550-577
More honey than vinegar : peer-review as a middle ground between universalism and national sovereignty
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira and McMahon, Edward, 2014, Canadian Yearbook of International Law = Annuaire canadien de droit international (51), pp 61-97
The universal periodic review : is there life beyond naming and shaming in human rights implementation?
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2012, New Zealand Law Review (2012), 4, pp 673-706
Rethinking the legal foundations of control in international human rights law – the case of special procedures
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2011, Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights (29), 3, pp 261-288
The Millennium Development Goals and the human rights based approach : reflecting on structural chasms with the United Nations system
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2009, The International Journal of Human Rights (13), 1, pp 29-43
The universal periodic review of the UN Human Rights Council : an assessment of the first session
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira, 2008, Chinese Journal of International Law (7), 3, pp 721-734
UN public special procedures under Damocles' Sword - two particular innovations : mechanisms for the appointment of mandate-holders, and the adoption of a code of conduct for special procedures mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira, 2008, Human Rights Law Journal (29), 1-5, pp 32-39
Apología del odio. Defensores y periodistas entre la responsabilidad y la persecución. [Human rights defenders, freedom of expression and hate speech: accountability v persecution]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2007, DFensor, 7, pp 17-24
Book review of 'In search of identity : debates on religious conversion in India' by Sebastian C. H. Kim
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 2006, (1), 3, pp 315-316
La comisión de derechos humanos a debate: el procedimiento 1503 = [Future of the UN commission on human rights: the 1503 procedure]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2006, Revista iberoamericana de derechos humanos, 2, pp 34-80
Now a new human rights council: will a new human rights council be effective or a just another silent spectator?
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2006, Combat Law (5), 3, pp 36-37
Book review of 'Human rights : International protection, monitoring enforcement' by Janusz Symonides
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2005, Journal of International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (18), 4, pp 306
Minority rights in China : a legal overview
Castellino, Joshua and Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2004, European Yearbook of Minority Issues (4), 1, pp 51-83
Los procedimientos públicos especiales de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas y las nuevas dimensiones de la actividad del Consejo de Seguridad en el mantenimiento de la paz y seguridad internacional = [Public Procedures of the UN Commission on human rights in the context of the security council and new dimensions of its activities]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2001, Revista electrónica de estudios internacionales (2)
27° Sesión del Comité de Naciones Unidas contra la Tortura (noviembre 2001) y elección de un experto español como nuevo miembro = [27th Session of the United Nations Committee against Torture (November 2001) and election of a Spanish expert as a new member]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, 2001, Revista Española de Derecho Internacional (53), 1/2, pp 653-657
Mecanismos de protección internacional extra-convencionales de derechos humanos = [Extra-conventional international protection mechanisms for human rights]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira and Guevara Bermúdez, Antonio, 1997, Jurídica: Anuario de Derecho de la Universidad Iberoamericana, 27, pp 71-86
Dominguez Redondo, Elvira, 1996, Revista Española de Derecho Internacional (48), 2, pp 425-426
Searching for recommendation alignment across UN human rights bodies
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira and Smith, Rhona (2024). In: Etone, Damian, (eds.), Nazir, Amna, (eds.) and Storey, Alice, (eds.), Human rights and the UN universal periodic review mechanism : a research companion. London, U.K.: Routledge
Contextualizing the Cassese report : the dictatorship that changed the United Nations human rights system and its legacy in monitoring economic, social and cultural rights
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira and Sepúlveda Carmona, Magdalena (2021). In: Bohoslavsky, Juan Pablo, (eds.), Fernández, Karinna, (eds.) and Smart, Sebastián, (eds.), Pinochet's economic accomplices: an unequal country by force. Lanham, U.S.: Lexington Books, pp 63-76
Lagunas (intencionadas) del derecho internacional en la delimitación de obligaciones del Estado =[Intentional gaps in the delimitation of state obligations]
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira (2020). In: Bohoslavsky, Juan Pablo, (ed.), Covid-19 y derechos humanos : la pandemia de la desigualdad. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Biblios, pp 77-92
Contextualizando el Informe Cassese : la dictadura que cambió el sistema de derechos humanos de Naciones Unidas y su legado en el monitoreo de derechos económicos, sociales y culturales =[Contextualizing the Cassese Report: the dictatorship that changed the United Nations human rights system and its legacy in monitoring economic, social and cultural rights]
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira and Sepúlveda Carmona, Magdalena (2019). In: Bohoslavsky, Juan Pablo, (eds.), Fernández, Karinna, (eds.) and Smart, Sebastián, (eds.), Complicidad económica con la dictadura chilena : un país desigual a la fuerza. Santiago, Chile: LOM ediciones, pp 97-107
The United Nations approach to temporary special measures
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2018). In: Baez, Narciso Leandro Xavier, (eds.) and Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, (eds.), Santa Catarina, Brazil: Unoesc, pp 239-269
El sistema universal de protección de los derechos humanos =[The universal system of protection of human rights]
Domínguez Redondo, Elvira (2017). In: Mariño Menéndez, Fernando M., (eds.), Pérez González, Carmen, (eds.) and Cebada Romero, Alicia, (eds.), Instrumentos y regímenes de cooperación internacional. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Trotta, pp 19-40
The history of the special procedures : a ‘learning-by-doing’ approach to human rights implementation
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2017). In: Nolan, Aoife, (eds.), Freedman, Rosa, (eds.) and Murphy, Thérèse, (eds.), The United Nations special procedures system. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Nijhoff, pp 9-51
Human rights through the backdoor : the contribution of special procedures to the normative coherence and contradictions of international human rights law
Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2016). In: Buckley, Carla, (eds.), Donald, Alice, (eds.) and Leach, Philip, (eds.), Towards convergence in international human rights law : approaches of regional and international systems. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Nijhoff, pp 543-566
The Declaration and its guidance : a view from South Asia
Castellino, Joshua and Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2015). In: Caruso, Ugo, (eds.) and Hofmann, Rainer, (eds.), The United Nations Declaration on Minorities : an academic account on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary (1992-2012). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, pp 283-305
The identity question : who are the Sahrawis and what is their ‘home’?
Castellino, Joshua and Domínguez-Redondo, Elvira (2013). In: Boukhars, Anouar, (eds.) and Roussellier, Jacques, (eds.), Perspectives on Western Sahara : myths, nationalisms and geopolitics. Lanham, U.S.:, pp 29-54
Making the connection : security and human rights
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2011). In: Bassiouni, M. Cherif, (eds.) and Schabas, William A., (eds.), New challenges for the UN human rights machinery : what future for the UN treaty body system and the Human Rights Council procedures?. Cambridge, U.K.: Intersentia, pp 255-277
Role of the UN in the promotion and protection of human rights
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2010). In: Chowdhury, Azizur Rahman, (eds.) and Bhuiyan, Jahid Hossain, (eds.), An introduction to international human rights law. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Nijhoff, pp 119-144
La Declaracion Universal de Derechos Humanos : Precursora y referente normativo de Los mecanismos no Convencionales de Naciones Unidas = [Universal Declaration on Human Rights : pioneer and normative reference of UN non-conventional mechanisms]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2009). In: Caballero Ochoa, Jose Luis, (ed.), La Declaracion Universal de los Derechos Humanos. Reflexiones en torno a su 60 Aniversario. Mexico City, Mexico: Porrúa, pp 145-167
Proceso de Ratificación en Irlanda del OPCAT = [Ratification process in Ireland of the OPCAT]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2009). In: Mariño Menéndez, Fernando M., (eds.) and Cebada Romero, Alicia, (eds.), La creación del mecanismo español de prevención de la tortura. Madrid, Spain: Iustel Publicaciones, pp 183-194
An overview of human rights instruments to raise concerns about trade and investment polices
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira and Carmona, Magdalena Sepúlveda (2009). In: Murphy, Sophia, (eds.) and Paasch, Armin, (eds.), The global food challenge : towards a human rights approach to trade and investment policies. Bern, Switzerland: Brot für Alle, pp 92-101
¿Debe desaparecer la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas? = [Should the UN Commission on Human Rights have disappeared?]
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2007). In: Beneyeto, José Maria, (eds.) and Becerril Atienza, Belén, (eds.), Una Nueva organización de Naciones Unidas para el Siglo XXI. Madrid, Spain: Biblioteca Nueva, pp 109-144
Access to working groups, special rapporteurs and experts
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2004). In: Sepúlveda, Magdalena, (eds.), Banning, Theo van, (eds.), Gudmundsdottir, Gudrun D., (eds.), Chamoun, Christine, (eds.) and Genugten, Willem J.M. van, (eds.), Human Rights Reference Handbook. Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica: University for Peace, pp 112-114
Bioethics and human rights : the challenge of universal standard setting
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2004). In: Sepúlveda, Magdalena, (eds.), Banning, Theo van, (eds.), Gudmundsdottir, Gudrun D., (eds.), Chamoun, Christine, (eds.) and Genugten, Willem J.M. van, (eds.), Human Rights Reference Handbook. Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica: University for Peace, pp 289-290
Derechos humanos : libros y artículos = [Human rights : book and article reviews]
Mariño Menéndez, Fernando, Fernández Liesa, Carlos R. and Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2003). In: Díaz Fernández, Antonio M., (ed.), Guía de recursos para el estudio de la Paz, la Seguridady la Defensa = [Guide for the Study of Peace, Security and Defence]. Madrid, Spain: Instituto Universitario “General Gutiérrez Mellado”, pp 33-45
The prevention of torture : complaints mechanism, investigation and prosecution of alleged perpetrators
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2003). In: Zhang, Wei, (eds.) and Liu, Huawen, (eds.), Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights. Beijing, China: Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pp 390-393
Areas temáticas : derechos humanos
Uhalde, Cecilia López, Salvioli, Fabián Omar, Ricciardi, María Isabel, Carrique, Martín, Raimondo, Fabián, Belardinelli, Laura, Bruno, Romina, Trevisan, Pablo, Minatta, Sebastián, Muñoz, Soledad García, De Marco, Alexia, García, Juan Herminio, Dominguez Redondo, Zeballos and Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (1998). In: Consani, Norberto E., (ed.), Anuario en relaciones internacionales 1998. La Plata, Argentina: Instituto de Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Reform of the UN Human Rights petitions system: An assessment of the UN human rights communications procedures and proposals for a single integrate
Limon, Marc, Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira, Power, Hilary, Stahl-Zulu, Inghela and Munoz Tord, Nathalie (2017). Versoux, Switzerland: (Universal Rights Group)
En defensa de la vida : conclusiones de la Misión de Observación Civil sobre la situación de las personas defensoras en México 2015 = [In defense of life : civil observation mission report on the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico 2015]
Baeyens Caro, Angelita, Openshaw, Eleanor, Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira and Figari Layus, Rosario (2015). Mexico City, Mexico: (CMDPDH)
The EU, torture secrets and dealing with the truth
Dominguez-Redondo, Elvira (2009). Paris, France: (European Union Institute for security studies)