Friends or Foes? Amici Curiae in International Human Rights Courts [AMICI]
Name of applicant
Zuzanna Godzimirska
Title
Associate Professor
Institution
University of Copenhagen
Amount
DKK 6,918,655
Year
2024
Type of grant
Semper Ardens: Accelerate
What?
AMICI investigates the role and impact of amici curiae - or third-party interventions - in international human rights law, focusing on the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Treaty Bodies. It constructs a comprehensive dataset on interventions and analyses actors, strategies and impact to tease out policy recommendations for more effective future rights mobilization through amicus curiae.
Why?
With human rights under pressure, increased presence of private funds and conservative groups, and rise in third party interventions it is crucial to challenge narratives of civil society as a unified body of ‘friends’ of courts. AMICI offers empirical insights into who these actors are, how they seek influence through interventions, and the effects of their interventions on human rights law.
How?
AMICI employs an interdisciplinary approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to map the actors behind third-party interventions, analyze their strategies, and assess their impact on court outcomes. The project will also explore the factors that drive human rights courts to accept or reject interventions, providing a nuanced understanding of their role in human rights litigation.