Please note that this event will exceptionally begin at 19h00 CET. 

In the immediate post-World War II period, the founding of the International Court of Justice heralded a new age of international cooperation according to a shared code of human rights. Thirty years later, in flagrant violation of these rights, the UK forcibly removed the population of the Chagos Islands in order to found the British Indian Ocean Territory. In new work The Last Colony, human rights lawyer Philippe Sands exposes the heart of this scandal and his experience defending the case of Chagossian repatriation in 2018 in the court of The Hague itself. Sharing stories from Chagossians forced into exile and demystifying the legal framework, Sands uncovers a hidden history of British colonialism unfolding in the present day.

About the speaker:

Philippe Sands KC is Professor of Law at University College London and Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard. He is a practicing barrister at 11KBW, appears as counsel before the International Court of Justice and other international courts and tribunals, and sits as an international arbitrator. He is a Board Member of Hay Festival and President of English PEN. His latest books are East West Street: On the Origins of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide (2016), The Ratline: Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive (2020) and The Last Colony: A Tale of Exile, Justice and Britain’s Colonial Legacy (2022).

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Sands will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

This event requires advance registration.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.