【IAS】UM Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture – Prof. Alec Stone Sweet: “International Human Rights Courts: The Dilemma of Effectiveness” was successfully conducted
【高研院】澳大傑出訪問學者講座系列 - Alec Stone Sweet教授: “International Human Rights Courts: The Dilemma of Effectiveness” 圓滿舉行
The UM Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) and the Faculty of Law (FLL) was successfully held on November 11. Professor Alec Stone Sweet, Sir Y. K. Pao Chair of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong, was invited to the lecture on the title “International Human Rights Courts: The Dilemma of Effectiveness”. The lecture provides an overview of Professor Stone Sweet’s new book, The Law and Politics of International Human Rights Courts. Professor Xingzhong Yu, Chair Professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau and Director of IAS, was invited to be the moderator.
Professor Alec Stone Sweet noted that each court faces challenges and strives to overcome obstacles threatening its authority and relevance. The book analyzes the emergence of a “jurisprudence of effectiveness”, aimed at raising rights protection standards within transnational justice systems. He also defined three essential elements: a charter of rights, an enforcement court, and the right of individuals to petition for redress. During the lecture, Professor Stone Sweet discussed state officials’ response to transnational justice systems, highlighting the risk of undermining court authority and the legitimacy challenges faced by international human rights courts.
Professor Yu commented that he provided a comprehensive overview of his new book in a limited time, using the system of transnational justice as an analytical framework with three criteria to compare five regional human rights courts. Professor Yu thought it was the integration of law and critical evaluation, offering a valuable model for writing.
During the Q&A session, participants engaged in a deep discussion about the effectiveness and challenges of international human rights courts. Professor Stone Sweet emphasized that while court rulings can have broad legal effects, not all individual cases are applicable universally. He noted that the European Court of Human Rights always faces a crisis but remains one of the most influential international courts globally. Participants also explored the relationship between international relations theory and human rights, arguing that developing rights-based constitutionalism is crucial for achieving peace.
Through his thorough analysis of the courts’ functions, state politicization responses, and the challenges of effectively protecting human rights, Professor Stone Sweet provided participants with valuable insights, underscoring the crucial role of international human rights courts in global governance.
Last but not the least, we would like to extend our gratitude again to the Research Services and Knowledge Transfer Office (RSKTO) for their support and assistance of the Distinguished Visiting Scholar Scheme.
11月11日，由人文社科高等研究院（高研院）和法學院舉辦的澳大傑出訪問學者講座邀請了香港大學國際法講座教授Alec Stone Sweet教授，進行了主題為 “International Human Rights Courts: The Dilemma of Effectiveness”的演講。講座圍繞Alec Stone Sweet教授的新書 The Law and Politics of International Human Rights Courts 展開，由澳門大學法學院環球法律學系講座教授兼高研院院長於興中教授擔任主持人。
活動伊始，Stone Sweet教授指出，目前國際人權法院面臨挑戰，我們需努力克服威脅其權威的障礙。他的新書分析了“有效性法理”的作用機制，旨在提升跨國法律體系中的權利保護標準，並介紹了三大要素：權利章程、執法法院和個人申訴權。Stone Sweet教授還討論了國家官員如何試圖削弱法院的權威，強調人權法院的有效性追求可能引發合法性困境。
於教授隨後指出，Stone Sweet教授在有限的時間內全面介紹了新書，利用跨國法律體系作為分析框架，提出三個基本標準來比較五個區域性人權法院，為學術寫作提供了寶貴的指導意義。
在問答環節中，與會者就國際人權法院的有效性與其面臨的挑戰進行了深入討論。Stone Sweet教授強調，儘管法院的裁決可能產生廣泛的法律效果，但並非所有個案都能通用。他指出，歐洲人權法院始終面臨危機，但依然是全球最有影響力的國際法院之一。與會者還討論了國際關係理論與人權的關係，認為發展基於人權的憲政是實現和平的重要途徑。
通過對法院的功能、國家的政治化反應以及如何有效維護人權的深入探討，Stone Sweet教授為與會者提供了新的視角，強調了國際人權法院在全球治理中的重要作用。
最後，我們再次感謝研究服務及知識轉移辦公室（RSKTO）在澳大傑出訪問學者計劃中給予的支持和幫助。
