James J. Busuttil

James J Busuttil (New York, 28 July 1957) is a lawyer, former professor, and author. He is also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague and a legal publisher.

Education

Busuttil studied at the University of Oxford where he obtained the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public International Law in 1996 with a dissertation called ‘Naval Weapons Systems and the Contemporary Law of War: Selected Topics’ for which he was awarded the 1996 Dasturzada Dr Jal Pavry Memorial Prize for best Doctoral or Masters thesis in Law, Modern History or Social Studies on a subject in the area of international peace and understanding. His supervisor was Sir Ian Brownlie, CBE, QC, FBA, Chichele Professor of Public International Law, All Souls College. During his time at Oxford, Busuttil was Member of the Governing Body of Linacre College (1990–91). Domus Scholar of Linacre College (1991–92), Member of the Standing Committee, Oxford University Strategic Studies Group (1991–95) and Member of Halifax House (1990–96) as well as President of Linacre College Common Room (1991). He is a Life Member of the Oxford Union Society.

He also studied at New York University School of Law where he obtained a Juris Doctor cum laude in June 1982 and the following honours: Order of the Coif (highest US national post-graduate law award) Clyde W. Eagleton Graduate Award in International Law Moot Court Advocacy Award Projects Editor, NYU Journal of International Law and Politics Legal Research Intern, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Headquarters (1981–82).

Prior to that he studied at Harvard University where he was conferred the degree of Bachelor of Arts cum laude in June 1979 his field of Concentration being Government (International Relations). He obtained the following honours: Harvard College Scholarship Dean’s List, every semester New York State Regents Scholarship New York State Governor’s Citation.

Teaching career

Busuttil taught at the Faculty of Laws, University College London (UCL), and School of Law, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)from January 2004 to January 2015.

He was Director of the University of London Master of Laws (LLM) Programme for International students. He led and was responsible for the setting up, development, delivery and management of the LLM degree, offered via the University of London’s International Programmes, providing academic direction and leadership (including the recruitment of course study guide authors and the creation of appropriate quality assurance mechanisms), taking strategic decisions in relation to the delivery of the Programme (including the appointment of appropriate support staff), co-ordinating approximately 60 courses and 3,000 students in more than 150 countries, managing a £4.5 million annual turnover with £3.5 million+ profit, developing marketing strategies, and liaising and co-operating with staff of the University of London’s International Programmes.

He was appointed Honorary Professor at the Department of Law, Middlesex University London, in May 2004 and Honorary Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Law, University College London UCL London, from January 2004 to January 2015.

He taught at the Institute of Social Studies The Hague from April 1998 to December 2003 and was Associate Professor of International Law and Organisation as well as Co-Director, LLM in International Law and Organisation; Chair, Human Rights Working Group.

He was research fellow at the School of Law, King’s College London, London from June 1995 to April 1998 in International Human Rights Law.

Professional organizations

Busuttil is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Institute of Directors (Life Fellow), Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (Life Fellow) and the Royal Geographical Society (Life Fellow) and the Royal Society for Asian Affairs Explorers Club (Life Fellow).

Guest lectures delivered

Busuttil has delivered lectures at

• Harvard Law School (1983)
• Georgetown Law Centre (1983)
• Western New England University School of Law (1984, 1985)
• University of Louisville School of Law (1985)
• University of Virginia Centre for Law and National Security (1986)
• New York University School of Law (1986, 1987, 1990)
• The New School for Social Research (New York) (1987)
• University of Lund, Sweden (1987)
• Yale Law School (1987, 1993)
• Yale University Policy Sciences Institute (1988, 1990)
• St. John's University School of Law (New York) (1988)
• University of Malta (1989)
• University College Galway (1989)
• US Information Agency Academic Specialist: Peshawar & Quetta, Pakistan (1990)
• Linacre College, University of Oxford (1990)
• Refugee Studies Programme, University of Oxford (1992)
• National Maritime Museum, London (1993)
• United States Air Force Academy(1993)
• British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London (1993)
• University of Malawi, Chancellor College (1994)
• University of Bristol (1996)
• University of Hull (1997)
• University of Oxford (1997)
• Central European University, Budapest (2000)
• Swedish National Defence College/University of Stockholm (2001)
• Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (2002)
• University of Indiana at Indianapolis School of Law (2003)
• FHR Lim A Po Institute of Social Studies, Suriname (2003)
• University of Maine School of Law (2007)
• University of Nicosia (2010)
• Escuela de Posgrado, Colegio Público de Abogados de la Capital Federal (Argentina) (2012, 2014)

Public service positions

Busuttil has occupied the following positions:

• Governor, British Institute of Human Rights (1998-2004, Member of Executive Committee 1998-99)
• Member, Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, Netherlands Branch (1999-2004)
• Member, Council on Foreign Relations (1990–95)
• Executive Council, American Society of International Law (1988–91)
• Member, St. John's University (New York) Council (1986-1996)
• Editor-in-Chief, The Hague Legal Capital web portal (2001-2003)
• Co-Rapporteur, Committee on Islamic Law and International Law, International Law Association (2003-2005, Member 2001-2005)
• Rapporteur, Helsinki Watch’s Committee of Jurists (1988–90)
• Rapporteur, Independent Counsel on International Human Rights (1986–87)
• Member, Advisory Board University of Sarajevo
• Human Rights Centre (1998 to present)
• Member, Advisory Group Centre for Rural Childhood, Perth College UHI (2010-2014)
• Advisor, International League for Human Rights (1992–95)
• International Law Adviser, Association of Afghan Lawyers (Kabul) (1987-1995)
• Member, Policy Sciences Institute, Yale University (1987–90)
• Vice Chair, Committee on International Human Rights, New York State Bar Association (1988–89)
• Member, Committee on International Human Rights, Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1989–91)
• Member, Committee on Extradition and Human Rights, International Law Association, American Branch (1992-2005)
• Member, Human Rights Interest Group, American Society of International Law (1991-2005)
• Member, Committee on Maritime Neutrality, International Law Association, American Branch (1992-2005)
• Member, Discussion Group on the Laws of Armed Conflict, British Institute of International and Comparative Law (1990-2006)
• Member, Committee on Islamic Law and International Law, International Law Association, American Branch (1995-2005)
• Vice Chair, Inter-Bar Committee on Terrorism, American Bar Association (1984–86)
• Member, Terrorism Committee, International Law Association, American Branch (1984–91)
• Member, International Criminal Law Committee, American Bar Association (1984–90)
• Member, Multinational Banking Committee, International Law Association, American Branch (1988–90)
• Member, International Banking and Finance Committee, American Bar Association (1986–90)
• Member, Commercial Financial Services Committee, American Bar Association (1988–90)
• Member, Environmental Controls Committee, American Bar Association (1988–90)
• Member, US Government International Whaling Commission Interagency Committee (1986-2008)
• National Administrator, United Kingdom National Competition, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (1993–95)
• Judge, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (1983–93, 1996–99)

Honors

Busuttil is inscribed on the ‘Wall of Honour’ at the New York University School of Law (1996) as one of the Twenty Young Lawyers Who Make a Difference. He received the American Bar Association (1988) Distinguished Recent Graduate Award from the New York University School of Law (1987).

US Bar admissions

Busuttil was admitted to the following:

• New York Bar in 1983
• Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, 1984
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985
• Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Court of International Trade, 1986
• First Circuit Court of Appeals, 1987
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1988
• Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2000
• US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, US Tax Court, 2002.

Courses taught

Busuttil has taught

• Information and Communication Technologies for Human Rights
• International Economic Law
• International Human Rights Law
• International Organisation and Development
• Globalisation and Global Governance
• Globalisation and the Reshaping of Political Life and Human Security
• Religion, Human Rights and Social Change
• International Organisation: Theory and Practice
• International Organisation: Empirical Problems
• UN System and Development
• International Law of Armed Conflict Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Public International Law
• International Environmental
• Law Human Rights Practicum
• Trusts

Publications

James Busuttil has written the following books:

• Naval Weapons Systems and the Contemporary Law of War (Clarendon Press: Oxford 1998, xxi + 249) (ISBN 0-19-826574-3)
• Towards the Rule of Law: Soviet Legal Reform and Human Rights Under Perestroika (Helsinki Watch: New York 1989, v + 180) (ISBN 0-929692-39-X)

He has edited the following books:

• Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace (Gerrie ter Haar& James J. Busuttil eds, Brill: Leiden & Boston 2005, xi + 392) (ISBN 9004-13943-5)
• The Freedom to Do God’s Will: Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change (Gerrie ter Haar& James J. Busuttil eds, Routledge: London, September 2002, xiii + 254) (ISBN 0-415-27034-0)
• Human Rights for the 21st Century (Robert Blackburn & James J. Busuttil eds, Mansell: London 1997, viii + 168) (ISBN 1-85567-440-8)
• Sourcebook on Environmental Law (James J. Busuttil, Geoff Gilbert & Maurice Sunkin eds, Cavendish: London 1994, 650) (ISBN 1-8594-1109-6)

He has written the following chapters in these edited works:

• "Policy Responses to Religious Fundamentalism", in The Freedom to Do God’s Will: Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change 230-37 (Gerrie ter Haar& James J. Busuttil eds, Routledge: London, September 2002) (ISBN 0-415-27034-0)
• "A Taste of Armageddon: The Law of Armed Conflict as Applied to Cyberwar", in The Reality of International Law 37-56 (Guy S. Goodwin-Gill & Stefan Talmon eds, Clarendon Press: Oxford, September 1999) (ISBN 0-19-826837-8)
• "International Humanitarian Law: The Case of Naval Mines", in Human Rights for the 21st Century 110-32 (Robert Blackburn & James J. Busuttil eds, Mansell: London 1997) (ISBN 1-85567-440-8)

He has authored the following papers:

• "The Legal Regulation of Naval Mines: Present and Future" (University of Essex Human Rights Centre Papers in the Theory & Practice of Human Rights No. 13 (June 1995) (39 A4 pages)) (ISBN 1-874635-12-9)
• "Gli Obblighi di Gestione degli Amministratori di S.P.A." [Managerial Obligations of the Administrators of Public Companies], (1994) 13 Le Società 1005-09 (No. 7, July 1994) (ISSN 84-641993)
• "Limiti all’Esercizio del Diritto di Voto dell’Azionista" [Limitation on the Exercise of the Voting Right of a Shareholder], 13 Le Società 136-38 (No. 1, Jan. 1994) (ISSN 84-641993)
• "War Crimes and Misdemeanors", 1 Crosslines Global Report 10-12 (No. 4, Sept. 1993)
• "‘Slay Them Wherever You Find Them’: Humanitarian Law in Islam", 30 Military Law and Law of War Review 111-45 (No. 1-4, 1991) (ISSN 0556-7394)
• "Uganda at the Crossroads: Current Human Rights Conditions" (with Robin L. Dahlberg, Sheldon J. Oliensis and Sidney S. Rosdeithcher), 46 The Record 598-673 (No. 6, Oct. 1991) (ISSN 0004-5837)
• "The Bonn Declaration on International Terrorism: A Non-Binding International Agreement on Aircraft Hijacking, 31 International and Comparative Law Quarterly" 474-87 (July 1982) (ISSN 0020-5893)

Permanent court of arbitration

Busuttil is one of Malta's four representatives on the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. He was appointed in 2007 and his appointment was renewed on 6 March 2013.

Legal publishings

In 2016, Busuttil co-founded the publishing house Russell Square Publishing.

Maximus Global Ventures

Busuttil is involved in the managing team of Maximus Global Ventures, which has connections with a businessman implicated in the Panama Papers leak.