- Sustainable Development in International Law: Nature and Operation of an Evolutive Legal Norm Barral, Virginie. 2012. Sustainable Development in International Law: Nature and Operation of an Evolutive Legal Norm. European Journal of International Law, 23(2), pp. 377-400. ISSN 0938-5428
- La sentence du Rhin de fer, une nouvelle étape dans la prise en compte du droit de l’environnement par la justice internationale Barral, Virginie. 2006. La sentence du Rhin de fer, une nouvelle étape dans la prise en compte du droit de l’environnement par la justice internationale. Revue Générale de Droit International Public, 110(3), pp. 649-668. ISSN 0373-6156
- Johannesburg 2002: Quoi de neuf pour le développement durable? Barral, Virginie. 2003. Johannesburg 2002: Quoi de neuf pour le développement durable? Revue Générale de Droit International Public, 107(2), pp. 415-432. ISSN 0373-6156
- French Merger Regulation Regime Martor, Boris and Barral, Virginie. 2001. French Merger Regulation Regime. European Competition Law Review, 22(3), pp. 110-113. ISSN 0144-3054
Virginie Barral
Staff details
Virginie’s expertise is in international law focusing on sustainability, climate justice and culture & the environment
Virginie specialises in international law with a focus on environmental and global challenges. She is interested in issues of sustainability, environmental and climate justice, equity, biodiversity loss and natural resources, theories of sovereignty, and cultural identity.
Virginie holds a Ph.D from the European University Institute (Florence), and postgraduate degrees from University College London and Université Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.
Before joining Goldsmiths she was an Associate Professor and Associate Dean Research at Hertfordshire Law School. She has previously taught at Université Paris 5. Prior to this she has worked for the French Commission for Sustainable Development and as a legal expert in the Paris office of Eversheds LLP.
She is a member of the European Society of International Law, the Société Française pour le droit international and the Society of Legal Scholars, and is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Teaching and supervision
Virginie has extensive experience teaching international law, human rights, EU Law, public law and international environmental law.
Postgraduate supervision
Virginie welcomes proposals for MPhil/PhD supervision on most aspects of public international law especially international environmental law, climate change law, natural resources, and the nexus between human rights and the environment.
- LLB Law
- LLB Law with Criminal Justice and Human Rights
- LLB Law with Politics and Human Rights
- MPhil/PhD Law
Publications and research outputs
Book
- Distributive Justice and Sustainable Development Barral, Virginie. 2025. Distributive Justice and Sustainable Development. Leiden: Brill.
- Le développement durable en droit international: Essai sur les incidences juridiques d’une norme évolutive Barral, Virginie. 2016. Le développement durable en droit international: Essai sur les incidences juridiques d’une norme évolutive. Brussels: Bruylant. ISBN 9782802752066
Book Section
- The contribution of equity to environmental peacebuilding Barral, Virginie. 2023. The contribution of equity to environmental peacebuilding. In: Daniëlla Dam-de Jong and Britta Sjöstedt, eds. Research Handbook on International Law and Environmental Peacebuilding. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 42-61. ISBN 9781789906912
- The relationship between the law of international watercourses and sustainable development Barral, Virginie and Fitzmaurice, Malgosia. 2021. The relationship between the law of international watercourses and sustainable development. In: M Fitzmaurice; P Merkouris and M Brus, eds. Research Handbook on International Environmental Law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. ISBN 9781786439703
- Changements climatiques et culture: Quel rôle pour les droits humains? Barral, Virginie. 2021. Changements climatiques et culture: Quel rôle pour les droits humains? In: , ed. Face aux changements climatiques, le champs des possibles en Afrique. (2) St Ouen: Les Éditions du Net, pp. 111-122. ISBN 9782312080086
Article
- Droit international et gouvernance de l’environnement Barral, Virginie and Fitzmaurice, Malgosia. 2023. Droit international et gouvernance de l’environnement. Annuaire français de relations internationales, 24, pp. 235-248.
- Sustainable Development's Function as an International Legal Norm: From Interpretation to Obligation of Means Barral, Virginie. 2019. Sustainable Development's Function as an International Legal Norm: From Interpretation to Obligation of Means. Comparative Law Review, LIII(1), pp. 25-46. ISSN 0010-4116
- Towards Judicial Coordination for Good Water Governance? Barral, Virginie. 2018. Towards Judicial Coordination for Good Water Governance? International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 67(4), pp. 931-959. ISSN 0020-5893
Report
- Sustainable Development and Integration Barral, Virginie and Dupuy, Pierre-Marie. 2019. Sustainable Development and Integration. Project Report. Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG), Cambridge.
Professional projects
In 2020 Virginie was appointed General Rapporteur for Distributive Justice and Sustainable Development by the International Academy of Comparative Law with Professor Okowa (QMUL).
Virginie is also a member of the International Group of Experts for the Global Pact Coalition, an accredited NGO with UNEP which feeds into the United Nations' work on a Global Pact for the Environment.