It’s our great pleasure today to introduce Julie Hannah as an IntLawGrrls contributor. Julie is the Projects Director at the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy (HRDP). The HRDP was established in 2009 to address the current gap in legal scholarship between the international drug control and human rights regimes. Since then, the HRDP has established itself as a world leader in international legal analysis and teaching on human rights and drug policy. It is the only academic project of its kind and is seated at the prestigious Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex. The HRDP website is home to the world’s only e-library housing legal research, analysis, and jurisprudence on issues related to human rights and drug policy. The site also houses lectures and debates organized by the HRDP on a variety of human rights and drugs issues. Topics discussed or debated include: Why Human Rights Matters in Drug Policy and Is Strict Drug Control Essential to Realize the Right to Health? The HRDP also annually produces a journal dedicated to the dissemination of new legal research on human rights and drug related matters.

Prior to joining the HRDP, Julie spent a decade working on refugee issues both in the United States and throughout East Asia. Her research interests are varied but currently focus on the legal intersections of human rights law and the international drug control regime and human rights accountability of States and UN organizations in the provision of international aid for enforcement operations. She received a LLM in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from the University of Essex with distinction and a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.

Julie’s first post will discuss an exciting new research project underway at the HRDP examining the intersections between international human rights and drug control obligations. Heartfelt welcome!