Biography
Michael joined Newman University as a Lecturer in Law in January 2023, having previously worked as a visiting lecturer at Birmingham City University. He has an LLB. and an LLM. in International Human Rights. Michael will shortly be submitting his PhD in Law at Birmingham City University, funded by UK Research and Innovation. He has also undertaken training at the Geneva Academy of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Michael’s research is concerned with the United Nations and its ‘Universal Periodic Review’ (UPR), a mechanism for reviewing states’ human rights records. His work is foremost empirical, drawing upon ideas from law, international relations, and the social sciences to understand, interrogate, and analyse state behaviour. Michael’s research has informed publications in the Journal of Human Rights Practice, Human Rights Law Review, and the Nordic Journal of Human Rights; expert reports to the United Nations; advocacy at the UN in Geneva; evidence to Select Committees; and a successful bid to provide consultancy and training for civil society on behalf of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
In addition to finalising his PhD, Michael is currently working on a book chapter, due for publication in 2024, that examines the UK’s engagement with the UPR through the lens of devolution.
Profile
Research Interests
Michael is in the final stages of his PhD in Law which examines the United Kingdom’s engagement with the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It is entitled ‘The United Kingdom and the United Nations Universal Periodic Review: An Analysis of State Engagement and the Translation of Human Rights Recommendations into Domestic Legal Change’. His thesis will be the first to comprehensively review the UK’s engagement with the mechanism and provide new theoretical and empirical insights into the UPR’s impact. This work is funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership.
Teaching
Michael teaches various modules on the LLB (Law) programme.
Membership of Professional Organisations
Michael is a member of the Universal Periodic Review Academy Network (UPRAN), the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS), and the Socio-Legal Studies Association (SLSA).
Other Activities
Conferences and Other Research Activity
The UK and the UPR’ Poster Presentation (Midlands4Cities Digital Research Festival, June 2021).
‘Explaining the Implementation of Universal Periodic Review Recommendations: The Central Role of Domestic Politics’ (Society of Legal Scholars International Law Workshop, Apr 2021).
Lane, M. ‘Facilitating the Success of the Universal Periodic Review in the United Kingdom? An Analysis of the UK Parliament’s Involvement in the Implementation of Multilateral Recommendation’ (Birmingham City University Research Seminar Series (Nov 2020), and University of Leicester’s Human Rights Cluster Research Meeting (Dec 2020).
Publications
Articles
Lane, M. (2023) ‘The Universal Periodic Review: A Catalyst for Domestic Mobilisation’, Nordic Journal of Human Rights, DOI: 10.1080/18918131.2022.2139076.
Lane, M. (2022) ‘Book Review: Damian Etone, The Human Rights Council: The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa (Routledge, 2021, xv + 215pp, £36.99) ISBN 9781032175317 (pb)’, Human Rights Law Review, DOI: 10.1093/hrlr/ngac016.
Lane, M. (2022) ‘The UK Joint Committee on Human Rights and the United Nations Universal Periodic Review’, Journal of Human Rights Practice, DOI: 10.1093/jhuman/huac009/6562026.
Chapters in Books
Lane, M. (2024) ‘Navigating Devolution at the UPR – The Case of the United Kingdom’, forthcoming in Etone, D. Nazir, A. and Storey, A. (eds.) Title TBC. Routledge.
Reports
Lane, M. (2022) Written Evidence to UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights, Bill of Rights Bill. (accessed 18 January 2023).
Yorke, J. Wood, J. Lane, M. (2022) Joint Stakeholder Submission to the Universal Periodic Review: Forth Cycle, 41st Session of the UPR Working Group (United Kingdom): Submission to the UN Human Rights Council. (accessed 18 January 2023).