Festschrift Published to Honour Leeds Law Professor Surya Subedi

London, 2 March 2025 – A festschrift was published to honour Professor Surya P. Subedi OBE, KC, a distinguished academic in international law and human rights. The book, titled “The Incoherence of Human Rights in International Law”, recognises Professor Subedi’s immeasurable lifetime achievement and contribution to international law and human rights scholarship and practice.

This honour was bestowed on Professor Surya P. Subedi OBE, KC at an event at the Manchester International Law Centre of the University of Manchester. The event was attended by academics from Leeds, Manchester, and several universities across the country, as well as international participants from Nepal, the U.S., Mexico, and other parts of the world. Professor Subedi’s family members from different countries were also present.

Edited by Dr Louisa Ashley and Dr Nicolette Butler, the volume features contributions from staff and alumni of the University of Leeds Law School, along with Professor Subedi’s colleagues from various universities globally. The book was published by Routledge in London and New York and dedicated to Professor Subedi.

Launching the festschrift, Professor Steven Wheatley, former Head of the Leeds Law School, highlighted Professor Subedi’s invaluable contributions to international law and human rights. Editors Dr Louisa Ashley and Dr Nicolette Butler also spoke about the motivation behind the book and their desire to celebrate Professor Subedi’s extraordinary career.

Delivering his keynote speech on “A Cross-Cultural Understanding of Human Rights in International Legal Discourse,” Professor Subedi addressed the growing global challenges to human rights.

“The rise of populism and nationalism across the globe is posing an unprecedented challenge to the United Nations rights regime. Democratic governments themselves, including the original architects of the liberal system, have become direct and indirect enablers in the erosion of the universality of human rights by treating human rights as a tool of foreign policy,” he stated.

He further emphasised that modern conceptions of human rights have evolved from the collective wisdom of major civilisations and religious traditions, describing them as the result of historical struggles to check the excesses of governments of the day.

Professor Subedi urged human rights scholars “to unearth the origins of human rights values in different civilisations, challenge the narrow understanding of human rights history, and question dominant narratives.”

He concluded by stating that Western traditions are not the sole foundation of human rights values. “Other non-Western traditions have also served as fertile grounds for pluralism, tolerance, social harmony, and humanity. Our aim should be to establish connections between civilisations to shape the world of the future, as human nature unites us all and transforms knowledge into wisdom.”

Professor Subedi expressed his gratitude to the editors, contributors, and academic colleagues at Leeds, Oxford, and several other universities where he has taught during his distinguished career. He also thanked Professor Javier García Oliva, Head of the Law School at Manchester University, for providing financial support for the event.