Sarah McGibbon, Dr (S.J.)
Dr Sarah McGibbon is a Visiting Scholar in the Department of International and European Law. She completed her PhD research in the department during 2018 - 2022, under the supervision of Professor Jure Vidmar and Dr Wim Muller. Sarah's PhD research focused on the international legal capacity and responsibility of non-state effective territorial entities. She is also a member of the WOTRO-funded project, Development Rights of Children Living in Unrecognised States. Sarah's current research focuses on the concept of belonging in international law, and its potential to harness a transnational identity to drive collective action in the face of global challenges such as climate change.
Sarah joined the department to conduct her PhD research in 2018, relocating from South Africa where she was a practising attorney in the field of administrative, constitutional and human rights law.
Sarah obtained her LLB (cum laude) at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and later her LLM (specialising in International Law) at the University of Cambridge, UK, where she was a Mandela Magdalene Scholar.
Sarah is currently also a Lecturer in International Peace and Security at Durham University in the United Kingdom, where she is also the Deputy Director of the Durham Global Security Institute.
Public international law
State responsibility
Use of force in international law
Non-state actors in international law
Statehood
International human rights law
International criminal law
Constitutional and administrative law (South Africa)
Sarah completed her LL.B (with distinction) at the University of Pretoria, South Africa in 2011. She subsequently completed her articles of clerkship (required for admission to practise) at a leading South African corporate law firm (Webber Wentzel) and went on to practise there as an Associate. She was admitted as attorney of the High Court in South Africa in May 2014.
From July 2014 to June 2015, Sarah clerked for Justice Johan Froneman at the Constituional Court of South Africa. Thereafter she completed her LLM (specialising in International Law) at the University of Cambridge, UK.
After returning to South Africa, Sarah joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc and practised as an Associate in their Public Law team.
Sarah joined the Maastricht Faculty of Law in January 2018 as a PhD candidate. Sarah's research (supervised by Professor Jure Vidmar and Dr Wim Muller) examined the international legal capacity and responsibility of non-state effective territorial entities. She is also taught on European Law School courses.
Sarah McGibbon, Dr (S.J.)
Visiting Scholar