The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, once again, the deep and persistent socio-economic inequalities in society. Across the world, marginalised and low-income groups have suffered the most from both infection transmission and the effects of lockdowns. In this lecture, Malcolm Langford will discuss the possibilities and limitations of using law to tackle inequality, with a focus on socio-economic rights and the current crisis. He will argue that while human rights law holds untapped potential, it will be the strategic framing and mobilisation of law by all actors that will shape and inflect the long-term impact of COVID-19 on inequality.
Malcolm Langford
is a Professor of Public Law, University of Oslo and Co-Director of the
Centre on Law and Social Transformation
, Chr. Michelsen Institute and University of Bergen. He is also the Director of the
Centre on Experiential Legal Learning (CELL)
, a Centre of Excellence in Education (SFU). A lawyer and social scientist, his publications span human rights, international investment and development, comparative constitutionalism, technology, and the politics of the legal profession. He is the Co-Editor of the Cambridge University Book Series on
Globalization and Human Rights
,
Chairperson of the
Academic Forum for Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)
, and acts as an advisor to various UN bodies, governments and NGOs. His books include
Socio-Economic Rights in South Africa: Symbols or Substance? (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and the O
xford Handbook on Economic and Social Rights (2020/2021) and he has won a series of prizes for his critical empirical work on international investment arbitration and university education. Before joining academia, he was a Senior Legal Officer at the Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions (2001-2006).
Photo by Elvis Bekmanis on Unsplash
