Dr Alain Zysset

  • Senior Lecturer (School of Law)

Biography

Alain is a legal and political theorist interested in the practices of constitutional, human rights law and international law. His research specifically aims to develop a tighter mutual engagement between the theory and the practice of these bodies of law. In this regard, Alain has published on the role of human rights practices (esp. the European Court of Human Rights) in human rights theory and the debate surrounding the legitimacy of human rights courts and bodies, on the practice of international criminal tribunals (esp. the International Criminal Court) in criminal law theory as well as on the conceptual link between human rights violations and international crimes across international courts.  

Alain has published in leading international journals across the disciplines of constitutional law, international law, and legal and political theory. His research has appeared in International Journal of Constitutional Law (2019, 2021), Global Constitutionalism (2016, 2021), Ratio Juris (2019), Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy (2019, 2020), Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence (2016) and Criminal Law and Philosophy (2018), among others. Alain also acts as Associate Editor of Jus Cogens (Springer) and sits on the UKRI Review Panel.  

Alain has also recently been appointed Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oslo (PluriCourts Center of Excellence) for a two-year project (2021-23) studying the nexus between theories of populism and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. The project examines if and how the Court should respond to populism consolidating across Council of Europe states. It is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and builds upon a prior research project conducted at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin (Center for Fundamental Rights) and funded by a Re-Constitution Fellowship (2019-20).  

Alain is on leave from the School (until March 2023) to pursue the aforementioned project but continues to supervise doctoral dissertations and welcomes expressions of interest for prospective projects at the intersection of international law/human rights law/constitutional law and legal and political theory. 

Alain’s academic background is multi-disciplinary. After obtaining a BA at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) in Philosophy and History, Alain has earned graduate degrees in Philosophy (MSc, LSE), History (MA, Graduate Institute Geneva) and Law (LL.M., Toronto). He was awarded his doctorate in law summa cum laude at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) under the supervision of Prof. Samantha Besson (now at Collège de France) and with the support of a three-year scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (2010-2013). His dissertation was awarded the Gottlob Prize for the best dissertation defended at the Faculty of Law and was published as a research monograph with Routledge (The ECHR and Human Rights Theory) in 2016. 

Before joining Glasgow, Alain was an Assistant Professor of Public Law and Human Rights at Durham University (2017-18) and previously held postdoctoral positions at the University of Oslo (PluriCourts Center of Excellence), the European University Institute (Max Weber Fellowship) Goethe-University Frankfurt (Cluster of Excellence Normative Orders on a fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).  

In addition, Alain has held visiting positions at the University of Arizona (Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, 2012), the University of Toronto (Visiting Scholar, Law Department, 2015), Osgoode Hall Law School at York University (Visiting Professor, 2015), and more recently at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin (Visiting Fellow, Center for Fundamental Rights, 2019-2020).  

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2012
Number of items: 20.

2021

Zysset, A. and Scherz, A. (2021) Proportionality as procedure: strengthening the legitimate authority of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Global Constitutionalism, (doi: 10.1017/S2045381721000071) (Early Online Publication)

Zysset, A. (2021) Calibrating the response to populism at the European Court of Human Rights. International Journal of Constitutional Law, (Accepted for Publication)

Zysset, A. (2021) Charles Beitz’ idea of human rights and the limits of law. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, (doi: 10.1080/13698230.2020.1859224) (Early Online Publication)

Zysset, A. (2021) A culture of justification or a culture of presumption? The turn to procedural review and the normative function of proportionality at the European Court of Human Rights. In: Schiedermair, S., Schwarz, A. and Steiger, D. (eds.) Theory and Practice of the ECHR. Nomos / Hart Publishing. (Accepted for Publication)

2020

Scherz, A. and Zysset, A. (2020) The UN Security Council, normative legitimacy and the challenge of specificity. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 23(3), pp. 37-391. (doi: 10.1080/13698230.2019.1565720)

Zysset, A. (2020) The right to justification and proportionality: A plea for determinacy and stability. In: Langvatn, S., Kumm, M. and Sadurski, W. (eds.) Public Reason and Courts. Series: Studies on international courts and tribunals. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, pp. 256-280. ISBN 9781108487351 (doi:10.1017/9781108766579.011)

2019

Zysset, A. (2019) The common core between human rights law and international criminal law: A structural account. Ratio Juris, 32(3), pp. 278-300. (doi: 10.1111/raju.12254)

Zysset, A. (2019) Freedom of expression, the right to vote, and proportionality at the European Court of Human Rights: an internal critique. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 17(1), pp. 230-251. (doi: 10.1093/icon/moz002)

Zysset, A. (2019) Response to Allen Buchanan’s “The Complex Epistemology of Institutional Legitimacy Assessments, As Illustrated by the Case of the International Criminal Court”, manuscript, 2019. Temple International and Comparative Law Journal, 33(2), pp. 392-396.

Zysset, A. (2019) Human rights: moral or political? Jurisprudence, 10(2), pp. 281-288. (doi: 10.1080/20403313.2019.1575617)[Book Review]

2018

Zysset, A. (2018) Right, crime, and court: Toward a unifying political conception of international law. Criminal Law and Philosophy, 12(4), pp. 677-693. (doi: 10.1007/s11572-017-9450-9)

2017

Zysset, A. (2017) The Heart of Human Rights, written by Allen Buchanan. Nordic Journal of International Law, 86(2), pp. 267-273. (doi: 10.1163/15718107-08602006)[Book Review]

2016

Zysset, A. (2016) The ECHR and Human Rights Theory: Reconciling the Moral and the Political Conceptions. Series: Routledge Research in Human Rights Law. Routledge: London. ISBN 9781138641037

Zysset, A. (2016) Searching for the legitimacy of the European Court of Human Rights: The neglected role of ‘Democratic Society’. Global Constitutionalism, 5(1), pp. 16-47. (doi: 10.1017/S2045381716000022)

Zysset, A. (2016) Refining the structure and revisiting the relevant jurisdiction of crimes against humanity. Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, 29(1), pp. 245-265. (doi: 10.1017/cjlj.2016.9)

Zysset, A. (2016) When the European Court of Human Rights speaks, what should it say? Testing Brettschneider's value democracy at the supranational level. Philosophy and Public Issues, 6(1), pp. 159-193.

2015

Zysset, A. (2015) Legal and moral pluralism: A rejoinder (in European Human Rights Law). Oslo Law Review, 2(3), pp. 176-199. (doi: 10.5617/oslaw2765)

2013

Bulak, B. and Zysset, A. (2013) "Personal Autonomy” and “Democratic Society” at the European Court of Human Rights: Friends or foes? Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, 2(1), pp. 230-254. (doi: 10.14324/111.2052-1871.009)

Zysset, A. (2013) The Judge at the European Court of Human Rights: ‘Moral Reading of Human Rights’ or Just ‘Reading of Moral Rights’? A Critique of Letsas. In: Besson, S. and Ziegler, A. (eds.) The Judge in European and International Law. Series: Fondements du Droit Europeen (4). LGDJ Lextenso Editions: Paris. ISBN 9783725568321

2012

Besson, S. and Zysset, A. (2012) Human rights theory and human rights history - A tale of two odd bedfellows. Ancilla Iuris, 7, pp. 204-219.

This list was generated on Sun Oct 17 00:23:05 2021 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Book Reviews
Number of items: 20.

Articles

Zysset, A. and Scherz, A. (2021) Proportionality as procedure: strengthening the legitimate authority of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Global Constitutionalism, (doi: 10.1017/S2045381721000071) (Early Online Publication)

Zysset, A. (2021) Calibrating the response to populism at the European Court of Human Rights. International Journal of Constitutional Law, (Accepted for Publication)

Zysset, A. (2021) Charles Beitz’ idea of human rights and the limits of law. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, (doi: 10.1080/13698230.2020.1859224) (Early Online Publication)

Scherz, A. and Zysset, A. (2020) The UN Security Council, normative legitimacy and the challenge of specificity. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 23(3), pp. 37-391. (doi: 10.1080/13698230.2019.1565720)

Zysset, A. (2019) The common core between human rights law and international criminal law: A structural account. Ratio Juris, 32(3), pp. 278-300. (doi: 10.1111/raju.12254)

Zysset, A. (2019) Freedom of expression, the right to vote, and proportionality at the European Court of Human Rights: an internal critique. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 17(1), pp. 230-251. (doi: 10.1093/icon/moz002)

Zysset, A. (2019) Response to Allen Buchanan’s “The Complex Epistemology of Institutional Legitimacy Assessments, As Illustrated by the Case of the International Criminal Court”, manuscript, 2019. Temple International and Comparative Law Journal, 33(2), pp. 392-396.

Zysset, A. (2018) Right, crime, and court: Toward a unifying political conception of international law. Criminal Law and Philosophy, 12(4), pp. 677-693. (doi: 10.1007/s11572-017-9450-9)

Zysset, A. (2016) Searching for the legitimacy of the European Court of Human Rights: The neglected role of ‘Democratic Society’. Global Constitutionalism, 5(1), pp. 16-47. (doi: 10.1017/S2045381716000022)

Zysset, A. (2016) Refining the structure and revisiting the relevant jurisdiction of crimes against humanity. Canadian Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, 29(1), pp. 245-265. (doi: 10.1017/cjlj.2016.9)

Zysset, A. (2016) When the European Court of Human Rights speaks, what should it say? Testing Brettschneider's value democracy at the supranational level. Philosophy and Public Issues, 6(1), pp. 159-193.

Zysset, A. (2015) Legal and moral pluralism: A rejoinder (in European Human Rights Law). Oslo Law Review, 2(3), pp. 176-199. (doi: 10.5617/oslaw2765)

Bulak, B. and Zysset, A. (2013) "Personal Autonomy” and “Democratic Society” at the European Court of Human Rights: Friends or foes? Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, 2(1), pp. 230-254. (doi: 10.14324/111.2052-1871.009)

Besson, S. and Zysset, A. (2012) Human rights theory and human rights history - A tale of two odd bedfellows. Ancilla Iuris, 7, pp. 204-219.

Books

Zysset, A. (2016) The ECHR and Human Rights Theory: Reconciling the Moral and the Political Conceptions. Series: Routledge Research in Human Rights Law. Routledge: London. ISBN 9781138641037

Book Sections

Zysset, A. (2021) A culture of justification or a culture of presumption? The turn to procedural review and the normative function of proportionality at the European Court of Human Rights. In: Schiedermair, S., Schwarz, A. and Steiger, D. (eds.) Theory and Practice of the ECHR. Nomos / Hart Publishing. (Accepted for Publication)

Zysset, A. (2020) The right to justification and proportionality: A plea for determinacy and stability. In: Langvatn, S., Kumm, M. and Sadurski, W. (eds.) Public Reason and Courts. Series: Studies on international courts and tribunals. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, pp. 256-280. ISBN 9781108487351 (doi:10.1017/9781108766579.011)

Zysset, A. (2013) The Judge at the European Court of Human Rights: ‘Moral Reading of Human Rights’ or Just ‘Reading of Moral Rights’? A Critique of Letsas. In: Besson, S. and Ziegler, A. (eds.) The Judge in European and International Law. Series: Fondements du Droit Europeen (4). LGDJ Lextenso Editions: Paris. ISBN 9783725568321

Book Reviews

Zysset, A. (2019) Human rights: moral or political? Jurisprudence, 10(2), pp. 281-288. (doi: 10.1080/20403313.2019.1575617)[Book Review]

Zysset, A. (2017) The Heart of Human Rights, written by Allen Buchanan. Nordic Journal of International Law, 86(2), pp. 267-273. (doi: 10.1163/15718107-08602006)[Book Review]

This list was generated on Sun Oct 17 00:23:05 2021 BST.

Grants

  • Senior Research Fellowship in Legal Theory, Norwegian Research Council, University of Oslo/Center of Excellence PluriCourts (2021-23) 
  • Re-Constitution Fellowship, Mercator Foundation/Hertie School of Governance (2019-20) 
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Norwegian Research Council, University of Oslo (2016-19) 
  • Max Weber Fellowship, European University Institute (2015-16) 
  • Postdoctoral Mobility Fellowship, Swiss National Research Foundation (2014-15) 
  • University of Toronto Graduate Fellowship (2013-14) 
  • UCLA School of Law, Dean’s Scholarship (2013-14) 
  • Doctoral Studentship, Swiss National Research Foundation (2010-13) 

Supervision

Alain currently supervises the following doctoral students:  

  • Ms. Sare Temel, ‘Rawls’ Theory of Justice and Migrants’ (2019-23) 
  • Ms. Dana Khan, ‘Human Rights and Climate Change Justice’ (2020-23) 
  • Mr. Jamie McGowan, ‘Rights and Juristocracy’ (2021-24) 
  • Ms. Regina Surber, ‘The Combatant’s Licence to Kill’ (2020-23, University of Zurich) 

Alain welcomes expressions of interest for prospective projects at the intersection of international law/human rights law/constitutional law and legal and political theory. 

Teaching

  • Constitutional Law 1
  • Human Rights Systems: Law and Legitimacy 
  • Advanced Law and Practice of the ECHR 
  • Research Methods (LLM by Research and PhD) 

Portrait of a young man