Michael A Becker

About/Bio

Michael A Becker is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin. He served previously as an Associate Legal Officer at the International Court of Justice.

Recently Published

The Gambia v Facebook: Obtaining Evidence for Use at the International Court of Justice (Part II)

[The first installment of this post provided an overview of the court’s decision in The Gambia v Facebook and identified some problematic aspects of the decision.] As discussed in the first installment of this post, a US federal court has ordered Facebook to disclose to The Gambia materials relating to anti-Rohingya hate speech and incitement…

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The Gambia v Facebook: Obtaining Evidence for Use at the International Court of Justice (Part I)

On September 22, 2021, a US magistrate judge ordered Facebook to disclose materials relating to the perpetration of ethnic hatred against the Rohingya Muslim-minority in Myanmar. The application was made by The Gambia, which seeks further evidence to support its claims in the pending action against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Facebook…

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Do We Need an International Commission of Inquiry for COVID-19? Part II

In Part I, I discussed what type of mandate an international commission of inquiry for COVID-19 might cover and who could establish such a body. Part II considers who might serve on a commission, how its work might be organised, and whether states could be persuaded to co-operate in good faith. What should the composition of…

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