Dr Webb’s research interests are in public international law, including all aspects of immunities, international dispute settlement, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the law of international organisations. Her books include Oppenheim's International Law: United Nations (2017, with Dame Rosalyn Higgins QC, Dapo Akande, Sandy Sivakumran, James Sloan), The Right to a Fair Trial in International Law (2018, with Amal Clooney), The Law of State Immunity (with Lady Hazel Fox QC) (2015), International Judicial Integration and Fragmentation (2015, 2013), the complete travaux préparatoires of the Genocide Convention (2008) (with Hirad Abtahi). She is currently working on research projects related the law of State immunity and the right to a fair trial. 

Watch Philippa Webb discuss Oppenheim's International Law United Nations (2017):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adZgkod-DMY&t=10s

Teaching

Undergraduate

•  Public International Law

Public international law, including all aspects of immunities, international dispute settlement, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the law of international organisations

Dr Philippa Webb is Reader (Associate Professor) in Public International Law. She joined The Dickson Poon School of Law in 2012 after a decade in international legal practice. She was previously visiting Assistant Professor in the Advanced LLM Programme at Leiden University (2009-2011). She has been Visiting Professor at Université Paris X Nanterre, ESADE Law School and Pepperdine University’s London programme.

Dr Webb holds a doctorate (JSD) and an LLM from Yale Law School. She obtained the University Medal in her LLB and the University Medal and First Class Honours in her BA (Asian Studies), both of which were awarded by the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Dr Webb has extensive experience in international courts and tribunals. She served as the Special Assistant and Legal Officer to Judge Rosalyn Higgins during her Presidency of the International Court of Justice (2006-2009) and, prior to that, as the Judicial Clerk to Judges Higgins and Owada (2004-2005). She was the Associate Legal Adviser to Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo at the International Criminal Court (2005-2006).

She is on the International Advisory Panel for the American Law Institute’s project Restatement Fourth, Foreign Relations Law of the United States. Dr Webb has served as legal advisor to the Inquiry launched by United Nations human rights rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC into the use of drones in counter-terrorism operations. She was elected as co-convenor of the International Law Section of the Society of Legal Scholars for 2014-17 and to the Board of the European Society of International Law for 2016-2020.

Dr Webb has worked at the UN Secretariat in New York and in the Sydney and Tokyo offices of an international law firm. She speaks French and Japanese. 

Dr Webb is the Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes. She has previously  served as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Mooting in the School of Law. 

She is a member of Public International Law Advisory Panel, British Institute for International and Comparative Law, a Board Member of the Young Public International Law Group, and Board Member of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

Dr Webb is also a barrister at 20 Essex Street Chambers and appears before the English courts and international courts in cases involving public international law.