Border Realities: From “Humanitarian Interventions” to Migrant Deaths: The Legitimation of Violence through Law

In this online lecture, Shoshana Fine examines how liberal democracies legitimise violence through law. From so-called “humanitarian interventions” to migrant deaths at sea, she shows how appeals to the universal, logical, and objective form of law make violence appear just, rational, and inevitable. Focusing on two cases – the NATO’s so-called humanitarian intervention in Libya (2011) and the deadliest Channel shipwreck (2021) – she explores how French political actors legitimised violence in both contexts through their appeal to law.

09/12/2025
4 pm to 5:30 pm
Online, WebEx

Registration here

Shoshana Fine is an Associate Professor of Political Science at ESPOL, the Catholic University of Lille, and a fellow of the Institut Convergences Migrations. Her research explores migration, political violence, and the politics of international law. Her forthcoming book, La violence au nom de la loi (co-authored with Thomas Lindemann), will be published by Presses de Sciences Po.  

The 2025/2026 edition of “Border Realities” is organized and chaired by Frédérique Morel-Doridat (UniGR-CBS, Université de Lorraine) and Damien Simonneau (INALCO, Paris). The lecture series is open to the public and is aimed at researchers, students, and the general public.
 

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