In our Horsehair Wigs podcast, we speak to guests about justice and human rights, and explore the drivers behind why they do what they do. The podcast is presented and produced by journalist Evelyn McClafferty, who specialises in justice and climate issues.
With thanks to our donors: Irish Aid.
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Scroll down to listen and find out more about each episode.
About the podcast
Horsehair Wigs is a monthly legal podcast. In it, we talk about justice issues with a broad range of international guests. You'll learn about trends in climate and environmental law in Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, the Arctic and elsewhere. You'll also learn about the brilliant campaign led by female judges to support Afghan colleagues after the Taliban came to power in 2021.
So far, we’ve featured leading figures in the international criminal law field. This includes female judges from Ireland and the US, including Teresa Doherty and Shireen Fisher, who have worked on the first legal cases involving child soldiers in Sierra Leone, along with landmark rulings related to sexual slavery and forced marriage.
We've talked to lawyers who work to support victims of genocide and other war crimes. We also spoke to Fergal Gaynor, who worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (the ICTR), the first international court to prosecute politicians for human rights violations. This was set up to prosecute those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which Hutu militias killed 800,000 people over a matter of weeks.
Our podcast also has a strong environmental leaning. With Maud Sarliève, we’ve discussed the proposed new environmental crime of ecocide. With Gearóid Ó Cuinn, we talked about the historic case led by six young people from Portugal that has recently been in the headlines. Between the ages of 11 and 24, they are taking 33 countries to trial for their failure in the face of climate breakdown. We also talked about eco-crimes in Barbuda.
Given our globalised world, we also highlight transnational litigation's impact on international crime. With Gearoid Ó Cuinn, we talked about legal attempts to ban cotton made through the forced labour of the Uyghur people in China. Eva Buzo spoke to us about the worsening crisis faced by the Rohingya in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Protecting human rights and the rule of law are central to the work of Irish Rule of Law International. In light of this, we’ve talked to lawyers like Linda Kasonde in Zambia – known for speaking truth to power.
Horsehair Wigs is presented and produced by journalist Evelyn McClafferty. Based in Berlin, Evelyn is a specialist in climate and justice issues. She has worked on several award-winning podcasts related to both the environment and human rights, and contributes internationally to platforms that focus on climate change and clean energy reporting.
A new episode of the podcast is available monthly.
All episodes
November 20, 2023
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Irli |
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On the programme this month, we discuss the continued impact the civil war in Sierra Leone has on its population, with human rights activist, Binta Mansaray.
October 05, 2023
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Irli |
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Our guest on Horsehair Wigs this month is Maud Sarliève, Human Rights and International Criminal Lawyer advocating for creative legal thinking to mitigate climate change and protect the environment. Maud explains ecocide, a newly proposed international crime.
September 04, 2023
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Irli |
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On our show this month, we speak to Gearóid Ó Cuinn, who teaches transnational human rights litigation at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in Galway and who is head of the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN).
June 29, 2023
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Irli |
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Our guest this month is Zambian lawyer and civil rights activist, Linda Kasonde.
May 31, 2023
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Irish Rule of Law International |
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On this month’s show, international Judge Teresa Doherty, who became the first female judge in Northern Ireland and in the entire pacific region, talks to us about her life and work.
April 27, 2023
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Irish Rule of Law International |
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Our guest this month is an Afghan judge, who was forced to flee her home country after the Taliban retook Afghanistan in 2021.
March 29, 2023
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Irish Rule of Law International |
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Australian barrister and the Executive Director of Victim Advocates International (VAI), Eva Buzo is our guest on this month’s show.
February 16, 2023
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Irish Rule of Law International |
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International judge Shireen Fisher is the next guest on our new podcast.
January 19, 2023
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Irish Rule of Law International |
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In the first episode of our new podcast Horsehair Wigs, we talk to Irish barrister and international judge Fergal Gaynor, who has worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and has represented victims before the International Criminal Court. Fergal is currently the Reserve Chief Prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal.