People

Dr Koldo Casla

Senior Lecturer
Essex Law School
Dr Koldo Casla

Profile

Biography

I am Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law at Essex Law School, and I lead the 'Human Rights Local' project at the Human Rights Centre. Between 2017 and 2019, I was a Research Associate at the Institute of Health & Society of Newcastle University, working on legal pathways to enhance the legal status of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the UK. Between 2016 and 2019, I was the Policy Director of Just Fair, leading the organisation's research, strategic communications, partnerships and campaigning on economic and social rights in the UK. Between 2013 and 2019, I worked as an independent researcher for Amnesty International, authoring four reports on the rights to health, education and housing in Spain. Over the years, I have also been very involved in Amnesty's strategy-development and governance at the international, national and local levels. Between 2011 and 2013, I was the Chief of Staff of the Human Rights Commissioner of the Basque Country (“Ararteko”). I am a member of the advisory committee of Gentium, a Madrid-based law firm specialised in strategic human rights litigation. I am also a member of the steering committee of the working group on strategic litigation of the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net). I hold a PhD in European and International Studies from King’s College London (2017), a Fulbright MA in International Studies from the University of Denver (2011), a MA in Theory and Practice of Human Rights from the University of Essex (2009), and a Law Degree from the University of the Basque Country (2008). I am the author of "Politics of International Human Rights Law Promotion in Western Europe: Order versus Justice" (Routledge 2019), and "Spain and Its Achilles' Heels: The Strong Foundations of a Country's Weaknesses" (Rowman & Littlefield 2021), and co-editor of "Social Rights and the Constitutional Moment: Learning from Chile and International Experiences" (Hart 2022) and “The European Social Charter: A Commentary, Volume 3” (Brill 2024).

Qualifications

  • PhD European and International Studies King's College London, (2017)

  • MA International Studies University of Denver, (2011)

  • MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights University of Essex, (2009)

  • LLB University of the Basque Country, (2008)

Appointments

University of Essex

  • 'Human Rights Local' Project Lead, Human Rights Centre, School of Law, University of Essex (12/12/2019 - present)

  • Director, Human Rights Centre Clinic, School of Law, University of Essex (16/6/2021 - 30/6/2024)

  • Deputy Director, Human Rights Centre Clinic, School of Law, University of Essex (1/1/2020 - 15/6/2021)

  • Health Law Cluster Coordinator, School of Law, University of Essex (1/12/2019 - 1/12/2020)

Other academic

  • Research Associate, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University (1/11/2017 - 11/12/2019)

  • External Examiner, Department of Politics, University of York (14/10/2020 - present)

  • Lecturer, Essex Law School, University of Essex (12/2019 - 9/2023)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Open to supervise

Critique of Human Rights

Open to supervise

Spanish Politics

UK Politics

International Relations and Human Rights

Open to supervise

Activism, social movements and human rights

Open to supervise

Current research

Poverty and Human Rights in the UK

Funded by CPPE and IAA
More information about this project

Solidarity, Responsibility and ESCR

Publications

Journal articles (11)

Casla, K., (2024). Economic and Social Rights in the UK: Between Pessimism of the Intellect and Optimism of the Will. European Human Rights Law Review. 2024 (1), 23-30

Casla, K. and Sandner, M., (2024). Solidarity as Foundation for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Human Rights Law Review. 24 (2), ngae011-

Casla, K. and Barker, L., (2024). Protection and Assistance to the Family: Interpreting and Applying Article 10 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from Learnt and Lived Experiences. Journal of Human Rights Practice. 16 (2), 489-511

Casla, K., (2023). The Right To Property Taking Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Seriously. Human Rights Quarterly. 45 (2), 171-204

Books (4)

European, TANOT., Angeleri, S., Casla, K. and Drooghenbroeck, SV., (2024). The European Social Charter: A Commentary: Volume 3, Articles 11-19. European Social Charter, a Com. 9004434070. 9789004434073

Casla, K., Sepúlveda, M., Silva, V. and Contreras, V., (2022). Social Rights and the Constitutional Moment Learning from Chile and International Experiences. Hart Publishing. 150995189X. 9781509951895

Casla, K., (2021). Spain and Its Achilles' Heels The Strong Foundations of a Country's Weaknesses. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 1538164582. 978-1-5381-6458-7

Casla, K., (2019). Politics of International Human Rights Law Promotion in Western Europe: Order versus Justice. Routledge. 0367189119. 978-0367189112

Book chapters (9)

Casla, K., Sepúlveda, M., Silva, V. and Contreras, V., (2022). Introduction: Social Rights and the Constitutional Moment. In: Social Rights and the Constitutional Moment Learning from Chile and International Experiences. Editors: Casla, K., Sepúlveda, M., Silva, V. and Contreras, V., . Hart Publishing. 1- 12. 150995189X. 9781509951895

Casla, K. and Valenzuela, V., (2022). Taking the Right to Adequate Housing Seriously in Chile’s Next Constitution: Building from Scratch. In: Social Rights and the Constitutional Moment Learning from Chile and International Experiences. Editors: Casla, K., Sepúlveda, M., Silva, V. and Contreras, V., . Bloomsbury Publishing. 165- 179. 1509951903. 9781509951901

Casla, K., (2021). Social rights and situational vulnerability in the UK. In: Law, Responsibility and Vulnerability: State Accountability and Responsiveness. Editors: Gallen, J. and Ní Mhuirthile, T., . Routledge. 132- 141

Casla, K. and Valenzuela, V., (2021). Tomando el derecho a una vivienda adecuada en serio en la próxima constitución chilena: Un derecho en construcción desde cero. In: Derechos sociales y el momento constituyente de Chile: Perspectivas globales y locales para el debate constitucional. Tomo III: Los derechos económicos, sociales, culturales y ambientales. Editors: Casla, K., Contreras, V., Sepúlveda, M., Silva, V., Cisterna, P. and Delgado, V., . Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 78- 93

Casla, K., (2020). Freedom and social citizenship: Public services and social rights. In: Public Service Futures: Welfare States in the Digital Age. Editors: Harrop, A., Murray, K. and Nogarede, J., . FEPS and Fabian Society. 43- 50. 9782930769387

Casla, K., (2020). Rights and Responsibilities: Protecting and Fulfilling Economic and Social Rights in Times of Public Health Emergency. In: Covid-19, Law and Human Rights : Essex Dialogues. A Project of the School of Law and Human Rights Centre. Editors: Ferstman, C. and Fagan, A., . University of Essex. 11- 17. 978-1-5272-6632-2

Casla, K., (2018). Realism: Human Rights Foe?. In: Realism in Practice An Appraisal. Editors: Orsi, D., Avgustin, JR. and Nurnus, M., . e-IR. 143- 155. 1910814377. 9781910814376

Casla, K., (2017). "The Future of Economic & Social Rights in the UK: Challenges, but also Opportunities". In: The Future of Human Rights in the UK. Editors: Smyth, C-M. and Lang, R., . Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 189- 206. 1527505146. 9781527505148

Casla, K., (2015). Dear fellow jurists, human rights are about politics, and that’s perfectly fine. In: Can Human Rights Bring Social Justice? Twelve Essays. Editors: Lettinga, D. and van Troost, L., . 33- 38. 9064633703. 9789064633706

Arf Rayfield, I. and Casla, K., (2021). Human Rights & Local Government: Lessons from Human Rights Cities in Europe

Casla, K., Olea-Ferreras, S., Fernández-Evangelista, G. and Aldanas, MJ., (2019). El sistema público de vivienda en el Estado español. Sin estrategia ni fundamentación en los Derechos humanos

Grants and funding

2024

Active participation to tackle poverty and defend human rights in the UK

UOE Participatory Research Fund

2022

Poverty and Human Rights in the UK

University of Essex (ESRC IAA)

Solidarity, a foundational principle and underlying purpose of economic and social rights law.

Young European Research Universities (YERUN)

Poverty & Human Rights in the UK

University of Essex (CPPE)

Building a community of practice to identify strengths, barriers and prioritise solutions to the right of access to healthcare for Travelling Communities

National Institute for Health Research

Children's Rights in Medway

University of Essex

2021

ICESCR Review in Essex County

University of Essex (ESRC IAA)

2020

Human Rights Local

University of Essex (ESRC IAA)

Contact

koldo.casla@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 876311

Location:

5S.7.21, Colchester Campus

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