Sophie Duroy | University of Essex

Biography

Dr Sophie Duroy joined the University of Essex in August 2023 as a lecturer in the School of Law. Her current research focuses on the mutual influence of international law and intelligence practice on one another. Her research interests span public international law, international human rights law, intelligence and security studies, and social science approaches to international law. Prior to her appointment at Essex, Sophie held a postdoctoral fellowship at the KFG Berlin-Potsdam research group 'The International Rule of Law: Rise or Decline?' (2021-2023) and was a PhD researcher at the European University Institute (2017-2020). She has also worked as an analyst and project manager in the field of counterterrorism (2015-2017) and taught French constitutional law at Sciences Po Paris (2019 and 2020). Her first book, The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law, was published by Edward Elgar Publishing in the International Law series in May 2023. It was awarded the 2024 King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence Polly Corrigan Book Prize.

Qualifications

PhD in Law European University Institute, (2020)
LL.M. Public International Law Leiden University, (2015)
Maitrise in European and International Law Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, (2014)
LL.B. Law and French Law University of Essex, (2014)

Appointments

University of Essex

Lecturer, Law, University of Essex (1/8/2023 - present)

Other academic

Post-doctoral fellow, KFG Berlin-Potsdam 'The International Rule of Law: Rise or Decline?', Freie Universität Berlin (1/9/2021 - 31/7/2023)

Research interests

Intelligence and Security

Open to supervise

Public International Law

Open to supervise

Human Rights

Open to supervise

Social Science Approaches to International Law

Open to supervise

Conferences and presentations

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy

Invited presentation, WU Legal Tech Centre Brown Bag Series "Tech Law Tidbits", Wien Universität, Vienna, Austria, 30/1/2025

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy

Invited presentation, Paper talk, Salzburg, Austria, 28/1/2025

Intelligence and International Law

Keynote presentation, 2024 Polly Corrigan Book Prize Award Ceremony, King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence, London, United Kingdom, 20/1/2025

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy in the Council of Europe area

Invited presentation, British Academy Global Professorship: Addressing the Digital Realm through the Grammar of Human Rights Law, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Oxford, United Kingdom, 26/9/2024

The Impact of Digital Surveillance Technologies on the Protection of Privacy in the Council of Europe Area

2024 Workshop of the Research Group on Constitutional Responses to Terrorism International Association of Constitutional Law, Madrid, Spain, 30/5/2024

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

Invited presentation, Book presentation, Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 21/3/2024

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

Invited presentation, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Oxford, United Kingdom, 20/11/2023

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

Invited presentation, King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence Seminar, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, 6/11/2023

Perverse Effects: How the Legalization of Intelligence Enables its De-legalization

European International Studies Association’s Pan-European Conference, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany, 9/9/2023

A Regulatory Theory of International Law

European International Studies Association’s Pan-European Conference, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany, 8/9/2023

Perverse Effects: How the Legalization of Intelligence Enables its De-legalization

European Society of International Law’s Annual Conference, Université Aix-Marseille, Aix en Provence, France, 30/8/2023

The Intelligence Community as a Normative Actor under International Law

European Initiative for Security Studies’ Annual Conference, IBEI, Barcelona, Spain, 29/6/2023

Assessing the Effects of State-Sponsored Assassinations on International Law

Conference on State-sponsored assassinations in international politics, law, and history, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom, 17/5/2023

A Regulatory Theory of International Law

Invited presentation, Keynote presentation, Hamburg Lecture Series in Public and Comparative Law, Unversität Hamburg, Germany, 12/1/2023

The Regulation of Military Intelligence Operations under International Law

Invited presentation, 22nd Congress of the International Society for Military Law and the Law ofWar, Palazzio Vecchio, Florence, Italy, 11/5/2022

Reimagining International Law in Light of Security Cosmopolitanism

WILNET Emerging Voices Workshop, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, 25/4/2022

The Case for a Human Rights Approach to Global Security

11th Annual Conference of the Cambridge International Law Journal, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 26/3/2022

L’innovation juridique en matière de renseignement

Invited presentation, Colloque Annuel de l’Association pour les Etudes sur la Guerre et la Stratégie, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France, 3/12/2021

State Compliance with International Law in Intelligence Matters: A Behavioural Approach

Leicester Law School Postgraduate Research Conference, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom, 15/6/2021

State Compliance with International Law in Intelligence Matters: A Behavioural Approach

ESIL IG on Social Sciences and International Law – Workshop on Behavioural Approaches to International Law, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, 23/4/2021

Journal articles (4)

Duroy, S., (2024). Another "black site" case. European Human Rights Law Review. 2024 (3), 255-258

Duroy, S., (2023). Case C-817/19, Ligue des Droits Humains v. Council of Ministers (C.J.E.U.). International Legal Materials. 62 (4), 611-670

Duroy, S., (2022). State Compliance with International Law in Intelligence Matters: A Behavioural Approach. Journal of International Dispute Settlement. 13 (2), 233-263

Duroy, S., (2020). Chronique des constatations des comités conventionnels des Nations Unies : Comité contre la Torture M. Z. c. Belgique, 2 août 2019, communication No 813/2017. Revue Droits Fondamentaux. 18, 11-14

Books (1)

Duroy, S., (2023). The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 9781803927077

Book chapters (16)

DUROY, S., (2025). The Intelligence Community as a Normative Actor under International Law. In: Research Handbook on Intelligence and International Law. Editors: Buchan, R. and Navarrete, I., . Edward Elgar Publishing

Duroy, S. and Khasanova, L., (2024). Cyberespionage and human rights: A disappointing balance. In: Global Cybersecurity and International Law. Editors: Segura Serrano, A., . Routledge. 107- 126. 9781003344124

Duroy, S., (2024). Les apports d’une approche comportementale pour comprendre les erreurs commises en réaction au « 11 septembre israélien ». In: Moyen-Orient, comment sortir de la guerre ?. Équateurs. 74- 93. 978-2-38284-757-2

Trenta, L., Avramov, K. and DUROY, S., (2024). A is for Assassination (State-Sponsored). In: A-Z of Secrecy and Ignorance. Editors: Van Veeren, E.,

Duroy, S., (2023). State compliance with international law in intelligence matters: a behavioural approach. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 250- 288. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). Epilogue: comprehensive regulation in the twenty-first-century security landscape. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 289- 299. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). International legal accountability in the CIA war on terror. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 184- 248. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). Introduction to The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 1- 30. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). Intelligence activities and international law. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 32- 69. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). Mapping state responsibility in the CIA war on terror. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 70- 120. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). International legal accountability for an internationally wrongful act resulting from intelligence activities. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 122- 153. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). Effective accountability. In: The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. 154- 183. 9781803927077

Duroy, S., (2023). The Cost of our Fear: Black Sites and the Erosion of our Values. In: 9/11, Menschenwürde und die liberalen Grundwerte. Editors: Straub, M., . Verfassungsbooks. 43- 54

Duroy, S., (2022). Black Sites. In: Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights. Editors: Binder, C., Nowak, M., Hofbauer, JA. and Janig, P., . Edward Elgar Publishing. 218- 222. 1789903610. 9781789903614

Duroy, S., (2021). The Regulation of Intelligence Cooperation under International Law. In: 9/11 and the Rise of Global Anti-Terrorism Law. Cambridge University Press. 179- 198. 9781316519264

Duroy, S., (2020). Remedying Violations of Human Dignity and Security: State Accountability for Counterterrorism Intelligence Cooperation. In: Human Dignity and Human Security in Times of Terrorism. T.M.C. Asser Press. 123- 151. 9789462653542

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Other (10)

Trenta, L., Archambault, E. and DUROY, S., (2024).The killing of Hassan Nasrallah and how the west legitimised its use of assassination. The Conversation

Trenta, L., Archambault, E. and DUROY, S., (2024).Depuis les années 2000, les «assassinats ciblés» sont devenus «justes» et présentés comme «compatibles avec le droit international». L’«élimination» de Nasrallah, «une mesure de justice». A l'encontre

Trenta, L., Archambault, E. and DUROY, S., (2024).The killing of Hassan Nasrallah: How the West legitimized its use of assassination. Dhaka Tribune

Trenta, L., Archambault, E. and DUROY, S., (2024).The normalization and legitimation of political assassinations. Asia Times

Duroy, S., (2023).Big Brother is Watching the Olympic Games – and Everything Else in Public Spaces. Verfassungsblog

Duroy, S., (2023).Les apports d’une approche comportementale pour comprendre les erreurs commises en réaction au « 11 Septembre israélien ». Le Rubicon

Duroy, S., (2022).The Cost of our Fear: Black Sites and the Erosion of our Values. Verfassungsblog

Duroy, S., (2021).Pragmatism and power at the ICC: US crimes not a priority. EUIdeas

Duroy, S., (2020).Security vs liberty: the terms of a flawed but persistent discourse. EUIdeas

Duroy, S., (2020).Dealing with the (legal) risks of decision-making in times of crisis. EUIdeas

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Dr Sophie Duroy

Email

Location

Academic support hours

Profile

Biography

Qualifications

Appointments

University of Essex

Other academic

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Intelligence and Security

Public International Law

Human Rights

Social Science Approaches to International Law

Conferences and presentations

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy

Intelligence and International Law

When ‘bad countries’ make good caselaw: Digital surveillance technologies and the protection of privacy in the Council of Europe area

The Impact of Digital Surveillance Technologies on the Protection of Privacy in the Council of Europe Area

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law

Perverse Effects: How the Legalization of Intelligence Enables its De-legalization

A Regulatory Theory of International Law

Perverse Effects: How the Legalization of Intelligence Enables its De-legalization

The Intelligence Community as a Normative Actor under International Law

Assessing the Effects of State-Sponsored Assassinations on International Law

A Regulatory Theory of International Law

The Regulation of Military Intelligence Operations under International Law

Reimagining International Law in Light of Security Cosmopolitanism

The Case for a Human Rights Approach to Global Security

L’innovation juridique en matière de renseignement

State Compliance with International Law in Intelligence Matters: A Behavioural Approach

State Compliance with International Law in Intelligence Matters: A Behavioural Approach

Teaching and supervision

Current teaching responsibilities

French Constitutional Law (LW106)

Current Challenges in the Law of Armed Conflict (LW804)

International Human Rights Law: Law and Practice (LW901)

Publications

Journal articles (4)

Books (1)

Book chapters (16)

Other (10)

Contact

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