What do you do if two academics call you to say they too want to start a podcast?

Do you talk them out of it, explaining how much expertise it takes to set up and run such a complex operation? No, of course not. You welcome them as fellow podcast aficionados, tell them all the shortcuts, (or haircuts) and then you force them to be your guests on your podcast at a moment’s notice.

Welcome Jens and Joe to the podcasting universe. They may call themselves The Frontiersmen or Joe and Jens make a podcast – if they follow our suggestions (they won’t). But meanwhile we quizzed them on what people don’t get about International Court of Justice – the ICJ – mechanisms. (TL:DL Basically each case takes a really really long time and first the judges have to decide if they can actually be involved. But provisional measures are really interesting). We thought this would be useful for those following the Myanmar case at the ICJ. 

There is HUGE interest in this set of hearings. Mainly because Nobel peace prize winner, Myanmar state counsellor (basically the prime minister) and foreign minister Aung Sang Suu Kyi will be front and centre. For background on the alleged genocide of the Rohingya population of Myanmar, check our podcast with Akila Radhakrishnan of the Global Justice Center, about why the Gambia is taking this case forward and what’s the connection between genocide and gender. Or these explainers from Human Rights Watch or the International Commission of Jurists.

So, it’s over to our Leiden University Assistant and Associate Professors of Law Jens Iverson and Joe Powderly.  We hope that our request for a bit of mansplaining for our podcast didn’t put you off too much, and we look forward to cooperating when you get yourselves going.

For an added bonus, marvel at this amazing collection of books, balanced on the renowned Professor William Schabas’ desk, in the office which our putative podcasters share with him. He’ll also be at the ICJ – representing Myanmar.