Professor Carmen Draghici
Contact details
About
Overview
Professor Carmen Draghici joined The City Law School in September 2009. She specialises in Human Rights Law, with a particular interest in the interpretation and application of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Family and Child Law in England and Wales. She is also a Senior Fellow of the UK's Higher Education Academy, an Honorary Member (and former Academic Fellow 2018-2021) of the Inner Temple, a member of the practice-focused Centre for Child and Family Law Reform (since 2010), a member of the Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication (since 2011) and a Visiting Professor at the Open University of Catalonia (since 2009). She was formerly a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program (2015), a Visiting Research Scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2012), and a Leverhulme Visiting Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre on Human Rights in Conflict, University of East London (2008). Professor Draghici holds a PhD degree in International Law and Human Rights from the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’ (awarded in 2007). Since 2023, she also acts as a member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Law Reform.
Professor Draghici has authored two monographs, "The Legitimacy of Family Rights in Strasbourg Case Law: ‘Living Instrument’ or Extinguished Sovereignty?" (Hart Publishing, 2017) and "Procreative Rights in International Law: Insights from the European Court of Human Rights" (Cambridge University Press, 2024), as well as journal articles and book chapters on contentious aspects of ECHR rights (the right to respect for private and family life, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, the protection of civil liberties in the context of counter-terrorism), the relationship between international human rights norms and domestic law, divorce and parenthood in English law. Recent titles include: "From Indissolubility of Marriage to Unilateral Divorce on Demand: A Tardy Revolution in English Family Law" (2023) 35(4) Child and Family Law Quarterly 413-440; “Unplanned Fatherhood is Not Sperm Donation: The Unduly Moralistic Approach to Natural Fathers in European Convention Case Law” (2022) 2 Child and Family Law Quarterly 123-147; “Divorced from Human Rights? English Divorce Law under Human-Rights Scrutiny” in J. Miles, D. Monk and R. Probert (eds), Irretrievably Broken: Fifty Years of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 (Hart, 2022) 215-234; “Putative Fathers in English Law: A Human Rights Perspective” in S. Gilmore – J. Scherpe (eds), Family Matters. Essays in Honour of John Eekelaar (Intersentia, 2022) 595-609; “Assisted Dying”, in I. Loveland (ed), Canadian and British Public Law in Comparative Perspective (Hart, 2021) 25-74; “Adult Children and Elderly Parents in Strasbourg Proceedings: A Misconstrued Approach to ‘Family Life’” (2018) 1 International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 42-62; “Equal Marriage, Unequal Civil Partnership: A Bizarre Case of Discrimination in Europe” (2017) 4 Child and Family Law Quarterly 313-334; “The Strasbourg Court between European and Local Consensus: Anti-Democratic or Guardian of Democratic Process?” (2017) (Jan) Public Law 11-29.
In addition to her academic work and links with the legal profession, Professor Draghici has collaborated since 2011 with the International Federation of Journalists in an advisory capacity, supporting their advocacy efforts at UN level for improved international guarantees for media workers, in particular by preparing and promoting a Draft UN Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals.
Qualifications
- PhD, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, 2007
Postgraduate training
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Higher Education (Technology Enabled), City University London, London, United Kingdom
Employment
- Professor of Law, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2022 - present
- Reader in Law, City, University of London, United Kingdom, August 2018 - July 2022
- Senior Lecturer in Law, City, University of London, UK, August 2012 - July 2018
- Lecturer in Law, City University of London, UK, September 2009 - July 2012
Administrative roles
- Assistant Dean (Research), The City Law School, September 2020 - December 2022
- Impact Lead for Law, The City Law School, July - September 2020
Fellowships
- Academic Fellow of the Inner Temple, Inner Temple, November 2018 - present
Languages
French (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review), Italian (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review) and Spanish; Castilian (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review)
Research
PhD supervision
Carmen welcomes approaches for supervision from prospective PhD students in the areas of international human rights law, public international law and family and child law.
Publications
Publications by category
Books (3)
- Draghici, C. (2024). Procreative Rights in International Law. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009443951.
- Draghici, C. (2024). Procreative Rights in International Law: Insights from the European Court of Human Rights. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009443982.
- (2017). The Legitimacy of Family Rights in Strasbourg Case Law : ‘Living Instrument’ or Extinguished Sovereignty? Hart Publishing. ISBN 9781509905256.
Chapters (15)
- Draghici, C. (2022). Putative Fathers in English Law: A Human Rights Perspective. In Gilmore, S. and Sherpe, J. (Eds.), Family Matters Cambridge, UK: Intersentia. ISBN 9781839701894.
- Draghici, C. (2022). Divorced from Human Rights? English Divorce Law under Human Rights Scrutiny. Fifty Years of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 Hart Publishing. ISBN 9781509947881.
- Draghici, C. (2021). Assisted dying. In Loveland, I. (Ed.), British and Canadian Public Law in Comparative Perspective (pp. 29-74). London, UK: Hart Publishing. ISBN 9781509931118.
- Draghici, C. (2021). Assisted Dying. British and Canadian Public Law in Comparative Perspective Hart Publishing. ISBN 9781509931095.
- Draghici, C. (2013). The development of self-contained regimes as an obstacle to UN global governance. International Law in A Multipolar World (pp. 283-302).
- Draghici, C. (2013). Prohibición de la esclavitud y del trabajo forzoso. In Zanghi, C. (Ed.), Jurisprudencia regional comparada de derechos humanos. El Tribunal europeo y la Corte interamericana (pp. 291-320). Spain: Tirant Lo Blanch. ISBN 9788490334447.
- Draghici, C. (2012). Las competencias personales del Estado. Derecho internacional publico Valencia: Huygens. ISBN 9788415663119.
- Draghici, C. (2011). Adoption and the European Court of Human Rights: from laissez-faire to judicial law-making. In Panella, L. and Spatafora, E. (Eds.), Studi in Onore di Cladio Zanghi (pp. 255-282). Giappichelli editore. ISBN 9788834825808.
- Draghici, C. (2011). The Human-Rights Compliance of UK Anti-Terrorism Legislation in the Light of Domestic and International Case Law. In Guarino, G. and D'Anna, I. (Eds.), International Institutions and Cooperation: Terrorism, Migrations, Asylum (pp. 673-714). Naples, Italy: Satura Editrice.
- Draghici, C. (2010). The Human Costs of the Iraq War and US International Responsibility. In Guarino, G. and D'Anna, I. (Eds.), International conflicts and human rights: Caucasus, Balkans, Middle East and Horn of Africa (Napoli Colloquium, 2-4 July 2009) (pp. 733-773). Naples: Satura Editrice. ISBN 9788876070808.
- Draghici, C. (2009). L’applicazione della dottrina ‘clean hands’ all’esercizio della protezione diplomatica (The Application of the ‘Clean Hands’ Doctrine to the Exercise of Diplomatic Protection). In Panella, L. (Ed.), La protezione diplomatica: sviluppi e prospettive (Diplomatic Protection: Developments and Prospects) (pp. 151-190). Torino: Giappichelli. ISBN 9788834897454.
- Draghici, C. (2009). The 'Global War on Terror'. In Sriram, C.L., Martin-Ortega, O. and Herman, J. (Eds.), War, Conflict and Human Rights: Theory and Practice (pp. 138-159). London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 9780415452069.
- Draghici, C. (2009). "Las competencias personales del Estado". Derecho internacional público (pp. 261-278). Barcelona: Huygens Editorial. ISBN 9788415663119.
- Draghici, C. (2005). Le principe de non-discrimination dans la nouvelle Charte arabe des droits de l’homme: une réforme inachevée. In Zanghì, C. and Ben Achour, R. (Eds.), La Nouvelle Charte Arabe des droits de l’homme. Dialogue italo-arabe. (pp. 449-488). Italy: Giappichelli. ISBN 9788834857649.
- Draghici, C. and Probert, R. Polygamy and Human Rights. In Nichols, J. (Ed.), Research Handbook on Family Law and Religion Elgar.
Internet publications (5)
- Draghici, C.(2015).ECHR: Right to marry. Westlaw UK, Thomson Reuters.
- Draghici, C.(2015).“The European Convention on Human Rights: The right to respect for family life” (Westlaw UK Insight article). Westlaw UK.
- Draghici, C.(2015).“The European Convention on Human Rights: The right to life” (Westlaw UK Insight article). Westlaw UK.
- Draghici, C.International law is inadequate when it comes to protecting journalists from savagery.
- Draghici, C.(2005).Cecenia: La Corte di Strasburgo condanna Mosca per gravi violazioni dei diritti umani (Chechnya: The Strasbourg Court Condemns Moscow for Serious Human Rights Violations). Asssociazione dei Costituzionalisti Italiani, Cronache, “Giurisprudenza comunitaria e CEDU” (“EU and ECHR Case-Law”).
Journal articles (14)
- Draghici, C. (2025). 'The Accommodation of Polygamous Households in European Family Migration: Children’s Best Interests and Public Policy Objections'. Child and Family Law Quarterly
- Draghici, C. (2023). Rethinking the Grounds for Divorce: Comparative Perspectives from the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. Child and Family Law Quarterly, 2023(Dec), pp. 333-338
- Draghici, C. (2023). ‘From Indissolubility of Marriage to Unilateral Divorce on Demand: A Tardy Revolution in English Family Law’. Child and Family Law Quarterly, (4)
- Draghici, C. (2022). Unplanned Fatherhood is Not Sperm Donation: The Unduly Moralistic Approach to Natural Fathers in European Convention Case Law. Child and Family Law Quarterly, 2022(2), pp. 123-147
- Draghici, C. and Woods, L. (2019). Killing Journalists is Not Media Regulation: Private Rights, Collective Wrongs and the Impact of Impunity. Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, 28(2), pp. 263-307
- Draghici, C. (2018). Adult Children and Elderly Parents in Strasbourg Proceedings: A Misconstrued Approach to ‘Family Life’. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 32(1), pp. 42-62. doi:10.1093/lawfam/ebx018
- Draghici, C. (2017). Equal Marriage, Unequal Civil Partnership: A Bizarre Case of Discrimination in Europe. Child and Family Law Quarterly, 29(4), pp. 313-334
- Draghici, C. (2016). The Strasbourg Court between European and Local Consensus: Anti-Democratic or Guardian of Democratic Process? Public Law, 2017(Jan), pp. 11-29
- Draghici, C. (2015). The Blanket Ban on Assisted Suicide: Between Moral Paternalism and Utilitarian Justice. European Human Rights Law Review, 2015(3), pp. 286-297
- Draghici, C. (2014). The Human Rights Act in the shadow of the European Convention: are copyist's errors allowed? European Human Rights Law Review, 2014(2), pp. 154-169
- Draghici, C. (2009). Suspected terrorists' rights between the fragmentation and merger of legal orders: reflections in the margin of the Kadi ECJ appeal judgment. Washington University Global Studies Law Review, 8(4), pp. 627-658
- Draghici, C. (2009). Terror and Beyond: Moral and Normative Dilemmas. International Studies Review, 11(4), pp. 755-759. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2486.2009.00895.x
- Draghici, C. (2009). International organisations and anti-terrorist sanctions: no accountability for human rights violations? Critical Studies on Terrorism, 2(2), pp. 293-312. doi:10.1080/17539150903021563
- Draghici, C. (2009). Suspected terrorists' rights between the fragmentation and merger of legal orders: reflections in the margin of the Kadi ECJ appeal judgment. Washington University Global Studies Law Review, 8(4), pp. 627-658
Reports (4)
- Draghici, C. and Burton, F. (2020). Fast-Tracking Low-Value Financial Claims in the Family Court..
- Woods, L. and Draghici, C. (2011). Impunity and the Rule of Law: International Legal Instruments Survey..
- Draghici, C. (2009). Trading Justice for Security? UN Anti-terrorism, Due Process Rights and the Role of the Judiciary: Lessons for policy makers. University of East London, Centre for Human Rights In Conflict.
- Draghici, C. and Woods, L. Safety and Protection of Journalists: A Responsibility for the World..