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Dr. Katharine Fortin is an Associate Professor in public international law and human rights at Utrecht University's Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM). She specializes in the legal framework applicable to armed conflicts, with a particular focus on intersections between international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and armed non-State actors. She teaches human rights law, public international law, and international humanitarian law at both master's and bachelor's levels, and coordinates the Conflict and Security track of the Public International Law LLM programs at Utrecht University.
Fortin earned her BA (Hons) in English Literature from Oxford University, converted to law at City University in London in 2001, and qualified as a litigation solicitor in 2005. She completed her LLM in International and European Human Rights Law at Utrecht University with Summa cum laude distinction, followed by a PhD (cum laude) at the same institution.
Her research primarily focuses on the accountability of armed groups under human rights law, civilian protection in armed conflicts, and the practical application of international law in contexts of rebel governance. She examines how international legal norms interact with local realities and how armed groups engage with international legal frameworks. Her work bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical field applications, particularly examining civilian agency in conflict situations and the governance structures established by non-state armed actors.
Fortin's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on the evolving relationship between international humanitarian law and human rights law, with increasing attention to civilian agency, gender perspectives, and practical compliance mechanisms. Her recent work expands into areas such as legal identity in conflict zones, rule of law backsliding, and peacebuilding from below, reflecting a growing interdisciplinary approach that connects legal analysis with social science perspectives on conflict-affected societies.
Among her notable achievements are:
- The Lieber Prize (2018) for her book The Accountability of Armed Groups under Human Rights Law
- An NWO Veni Award (2019) for her research project "Dangerous Liaisons: civilian agency, armed groups and international law"
- The Hestia Grant (2021) for her ongoing research initiatives
Fortin serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights and co-founded the Armed Groups and International Law blog. She is a co-investigator on the £5 million "Beyond Compliance Consortium" project funded by UK Development, which examines promoting restraint by armed actors. She also hosts the "Beyond Compliance: In Conversation" podcast with Florian Weigand, exploring practical approaches to engaging armed groups on international legal norms.
As an active member of the academic community, Fortin co-founded the "Contesting Governance" platform within the Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges and serves on the Utrecht Young Academy since 2022. She has organized numerous workshops and conferences on armed groups and international law, and maintains active engagement with policy communities through media contributions and expert consultations.
