Dr Damian Etone is a Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law and joined the University of Stirling in 2019. He is Director for the MSc Programme in Human Rights and Diplomacy run in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Damian completed his LLM (Distinction) in International Criminal/Human Rights Law at Bangor University (Wales) in 2013 and a PhD in International Human Rights law at The University of Adelaide (Australia) in 2017. He was an Associate Law Teacher at the Adelaide Law School from 2015-2017 and taught in Foundations of Law, Human Rights and International Law. Prior to joining the University of Stirling, Damian was a Lecturer in Law at Staffordshire University where he was Coordinator for various law modules at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Damian undertook a visiting scholarship at the University of Ghana Law School in 2023 and was also appointed as Academic Adviser to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in 2023. He has worked for over 5 years as an International Criminal Law Case Reporter for Oxford University Press and published over 8 reports in the OUP international criminal law series.
Damian previously worked as an Assistant Human Rights officer at the Cameroon National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms between 2011 and 2012 and has previously received a Chevening Scholarship Award (2012-2013) and a Beacon of Enlightenment Scholarship Award (2014-2017).
Recognition for Exceptional Contribution
University of Stirling
Part of the Recognition Award Scheme, recognising significant contribution made within my role.
Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities
University of Stirling
Student Recognition and Advancing Teaching Excellence (RATE) Awards. Winner of the Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Arts &
Humanities (2021)
Beacon of Enlightenment Schorlarship
University of Adelaide
The Beacon of Enlightenment Scholarship was an Excellence Scholarship for Doctorate Studies.
Chevening Scholarship
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This was a Leadership Schorlaship by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
HEA Fellow
Higher Education Academy
Vice Chancellor's Award - Best New Comer
Staffordshire University
Awarded by Staffordshire University in 2019 as the Best New Comer to the University.
Damian's current research expertise includes International Law, Human Rights Implementation, UN Human Rights Bodies, African Human Rights system, International criminal law and Transitional Justice. He publishes in the areas of international human rights law and transitional justice. His current book - The Human Rights Council: The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa (Routledge 2020), examines the engagement of African states with the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. This book offers the first detailed analysis of the effectiveness of African states’ engagement with the UPR mechanism from 2008 -2019 and its potential impact. Damian develops in this book a framework which comprehensively evaluates aspects of states’ UPR engagement, considers the potential for acculturation in their engagement with the UPR and unpacks the impact of politics, regionalism, cultural relativism, rights ritualism and civil society on the UPR process. Damian is one of three founding Coordinators of the international network of UPR Academic Researchers (UPRAN).
Book Chapter
The South African National Protection System
Etone D (2023) The South African National Protection System. In: Ramcharan B, Magazzeni G, M'Bikay M & French I (eds.) A Global Handbook on National Human Rights Protection Systems. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill/Nijhoff. https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/64050?rskey=TaUTAd&result=3
Book Chapter
The Universal Periodic Review and Transitional Justice
Etone D The Universal Periodic Review and Transitional Justice. In: TBC. London: Routledge.
Book Chapter
Addressing Environmental Harm in Conflicts within Africa: Scope for International Criminal Law?
Etone D (2021) Addressing Environmental Harm in Conflicts within Africa: Scope for International Criminal Law?. In: Paulose RM (ed.) Green Crimes and International Criminal Law. Series in Law. Wilmington, DE, USA: Vernon Press, pp. 65-106. https://vernonpress.com/book/1139
Article
Exploring female lawyers' competence in Ghanaian law firms: clients' perspective
Quartey SH, Akuffo-Kwapong B & Etone D (2021) Exploring female lawyers' competence in Ghanaian law firms: clients' perspective. International Journal of the Legal Profession. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695958.2020.1863218
Monograph
The Human Rights Council:The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa
Etone D (2020) The Human Rights Council:The Impact of the Universal Periodic Review in Africa. Routledge Research in Human Rights Law. London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/The-Human-Rights-Council-The-Impact-of-the-Universal-Periodic-Review-in/Etone/p/book/9780367182496
Article
Etone D (2020) Nigeria's Engagement with The Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review: Potential for Acculturation or Risk of Regression?. African Journal of International and Comparative Law, 28 (2), pp. 267-297. https://doi.org/10.3366/ajicl.2020.0313
Article
Etone D (2019) Theoretical challenges to understanding the potential impact of the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism: Revisiting theoretical approaches to state human rights compliance. Journal of Human Rights, 18 (1), pp. 36-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2019.1579639
Article
African States: Themes Emerging from the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review
Etone D (2018) African States: Themes Emerging from the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review. Journal of African Law, 62 (2), pp. 201-223. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021855318000128
Article
Etone D (2017) The effectiveness of South Africa's engagement with the universal periodic review (UPR): potential for ritualism?. South African Journal on Human Rights, 33 (2), pp. 258-285. https://doi.org/10.1080/02587203.2017.1362163
Other
Etone D (2017) AFRC Case, Prosecutor v Brima (Alex Tamba) and ors, Appeal judgment, Case no SCSL-2004-16-A, ICL 669 (SCSL 2008), 22nd February 2008 International Criminal Law (ICL) Reports – Oxford University Press: Reports on International Law Reports, ICL Series. OUP - Oxford Reports on International Law (ICL Series).
Article
Etone D (2016) The Prospects and Potential Advantages and Disadvantages of a Regional Truth-Seeking Mechanism in the West Balkan Region. International Journal of Conflict & Reconciliation, 2 (2), pp. 1-43. http://conflictjournal.squarespace.com/articles4/
Other
Etone D (2015) International Criminal Law (ICL) Reports – Oxford University Press: Reports on International Law Reports. OUP - OXford Reports on International Law.
Damian is Director for the MSc Programme in Human Rights and Diplomacy. This Masters programme is taught in conjunction with the UN Institute for Training and Research. Damian is Coordinator for different modules including Human Rights in Practice, Transitional Justice and Human Rights, Dissertation and Human Rights Professional Project.
