Dr Claire Simmons
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Email
csimmo@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 876516
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Location
5S.4.10, Colchester Campus
Profile
Biography
Dr Claire Simmons is a Fellow of the Human Rights Centre and Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub. She is also Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Affairs, Faculty for the Study of Leadership, Security and Warfare at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Claire completed her PhD at the University of Essex Law School in 2021, on the independence and impartiality of military investigations into violations of international humanitarian law. She was previously a researcher in the Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub, working on various projects related to international humanitarian law and human rights. She is one of the authors of the "Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law: Law, Policy, and Good Practice" published by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Claire has experience working on international humanitarian law and human rights in academic institutions and non-profit organisations in Thailand, France and the UK.
Qualifications
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LL.M International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law University of Essex,
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BA Politics and Human Rights University of Essex,
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PhD University of Essex, (2021)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
International Humanitarian Law
International Human Rights Law
International Refugee Law
Military Justice
International Criminal Law
Current research
PhD: "The independence and impartiality of military justice investigations into serious violations of international humanitarian law"
PhD research carried out under the supervision of Professor Noam Lubell and Professor Francoise Hampson.
Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub
Conferences and presentations
What is Legal in War?
Investigating War Crimes Webinar, 28/11/2023
Military Investigations in Armed Conflict
UK branch of the International Society for Military Law and Law of War (ISMLLW), 18/5/2023
The protection of displaced people under IHL in the last 70 years
UNHCR/GAIN: 70 Years Protecting People Forced to Flee, 19/1/2021
The independence and impartiality of military investigations into violations of international humanitarian law
14th Annual Minerva/ICRC Conference on International Humanitarian Law, 11/11/2020
Investigating violations of international humanitarian law in armed conflict
Oxford Transitional Justice Research Group, 27/4/2020
The duty to investigate violations of international law in armed conflict: an obligation of effectiveness
Essex Law School Postgraduate Conference, 7/5/2019
The concept of independence as related to impartiality when investigating violations of international law in armed conflict
Essex Law School Postgraduate Research Conference, Colchester, United Kingdom, 15/5/2018
Understanding the term 'systematic' under international law and its implications on the administration of justice in armed conflict
Human Rights Research Students Conference, 10/7/2017
Speaker at Human Rights in Asia Conference, University of Essex, June 2010.
Colchester, United Kingdom, 2010
Publications
Journal articles (2)
Simmons, C., (2021). The Scope of Military Jurisdiction for Violations of International Humanitarian Law. Israel Law Review. 54 (1), 3-23
Simmons, C., (2020). Whose perception of justice? Real and perceived challenges to military investigations in armed conflict. International Review of the Red Cross. 102 (914), 807-822
Books (1)
Simmons, C., (2024). Military Investigations in Armed Conflict Independence and Impartiality under International Law. Taylor & Francis. 1040006698. 9781040006696
Book chapters (2)
Simmons, C., (2023). What is Legal in War?. In: Reporter’s Guide to Investigating War Crimes: A Global Investigative Journalism Network Resource. Global Investigative Journalism Network
Simmons, C., (2022). Investigations in Armed Conflict. In: Research Handbook on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law: Further Reflections and Perspectives. 1789900964. 9781789900965
Reports and Papers (4)
Simmons, C., (2023). Environmental Harm from Military Operations and the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
Simmons, C., (2023). Displacement in Armed Conflict and the Protection of Civilians
Simmons, C., (2022). Investigations Into Civilian Harm in Armed Conflict
Simmons, C., (2022). Amends and Reparations for Civilian Harm in Armed Conflict
Thesis dissertation (1)
Simmons, C., (2022). The independence and impartiality of military investigations into serious violations of international humanitarian law
Other (2)
Simmons, C., (2023).Tipsheet for Investigative Journalists on War Crimes and What Is Legal in War,GIJN
Lubell, N., Pejic, J. and Simmons, C., (2019).Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law: Law, Policy, and Good Practice,International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)/Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Contact
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