Thomas Obel Hansen

Thomas Obel Hansen is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the School of Law, Ulster University, and a member of the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) since 2016. He is currently on an external research appointment as Maria Zambrano Distinguished Researcher at Carlos III University of Madrid and serves as Senior Research Fellow with the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL). His academic work bridges law, politics, and human rights, with a strong focus on transitional and international justice.

His educational background includes an LLM (2007) and PhD in Law (2010) from Aarhus University Law School, Denmark. Prior to joining Ulster, he worked with the United States International University in Nairobi and as a consultant on human rights and transitional justice in East Africa.

His research interests center on transitional justice, international criminal law, accountability for war crimes, civil society’s role in justice processes, ICC complementarity, and the emerging field of environmental crime and ecocide. He employs both doctrinal and socio-legal methodologies, often engaging with political and institutional dynamics.

The analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on justice mechanisms in politically complex environments, especially in Kenya, Palestine, Iraq, and the UK. His work critically examines the legitimacy, effectiveness, and political constraints of international justice institutions, particularly the ICC. A growing trend in his scholarship is the exploration of environmental harm as an international crime, aligning with broader SDG objectives.

• Maria Zambrano Distinguished Researcher, Carlos III University of Madrid (2023–2024)
• Member, American Society of International Law
• Advisor to UNDP, Open Society Justice Initiative, Danish Foreign Ministry, International Centre for Transitional Justice
• Funding from Danish Research Council, British Academy/Leverhulme, Royal Irish Academy, Open Society Foundations

Thomas Hansen has supervised four research projects and advised multiple early-career researchers. His externally funded projects include a 4-year Danish Research Council initiative on standardization in transitional justice and a British Academy/Leverhulme project on accountability for British war crimes in Iraq. He actively contributes to public policy through submissions to UK Parliamentary committees, government consultations, and the UN Human Rights Council.

He is affiliated with the Transitional Justice Institute (TJI) at Ulster University, a leading research center in the field, and collaborates extensively with scholars and practitioners across Europe, Africa, and North America. His current external role at Carlos III University and ICEL underscores his integration into global research networks focused on justice innovation and environmental law.