BHRJ Blog
Welcome to the blog of the Business and Human Rights Journal, an authoritative platform for scholarly debate on all issues concerning the intersection of business and human rights in an open, critical and interdisciplinary manner.
Latest posts:
- ESG Scores Are Rising. Worker Abuses Are Not Falling.
- From Business Continuity to Criminal Liability: Lessons from the Lafarge Case
- From Rhetoric to Practice: The EU–India Trade Deal is a Start, but Turning Sustainability Promises into Impact Will Take Far More
- Rethinking the Corporate Role in Russia’s War on Ukraine: From Accountability to Reparations?
- The French Duty of Vigilance Law in Action: Landmark Ruling by the Paris Court Granting Remedy to Workers and a Union
ESG Scores Are Rising. Worker Abuses Are Not Falling.
A week ago, I read the labour standards of one of the world’s most recognised agricultural certifiers. The requirement under “Hired Labour” included developing policies to address the most salient risks, communicating them to staff, and revising them every three years. A second major certifier said almost the same: conduct a risk assessment, build a…
From Business Continuity to Criminal Liability: Lessons from the Lafarge Case
On 13 April 2026, the Paris Criminal Court delivered its long-awaited verdict in the case against the French cement company Lafarge. The decision marks a significant development at the intersection of corporate governance, business and human rights, and international criminal law. It provides a rare and concrete example of how domestic criminal courts may assess…
From Rhetoric to Practice: The EU–India Trade Deal is a Start, but Turning Sustainability Promises into Impact Will Take Far More
As India and the European Union move closer to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), much of the attention has focused on tariffs, market access and climate cooperation. But the most consequential test of this deal will not be how efficiently goods move across borders. It will be whether the agreement meaningfully improves outcomes for workers,…
Rethinking the Corporate Role in Russia’s War on Ukraine: From Accountability to Reparations?
Introduction On 24th February 2022, the world was shaken with Russia’s initiation of a full-scale invasion against Ukraine, recognised by the United Nations (UN) as an act of aggression. This new chapter in interstate conflict raised questions about the alleged human rights impacts of corporate actors linked to gross violations committed in Ukraine. Initially, the…
The French Duty of Vigilance Law in Action: Landmark Ruling by the Paris Court Granting Remedy to Workers and a Union
The second ruling on the merits of the 2017 Duty of Vigilance Law was pronounced on March 12, 2026. The case concerned an abroad subsidiary of a French company. Less than one year after the ruling against La Poste of the Appeal Court, that had ordered the defendant to rewrite its vigilance plan, this time…
From Business of Human Rights to Business For Human Rights: The Foundations and Future of the BHR Profession
In Blogs I, II, and III, we explored how the evolving landscape of Business and Human Rights (BHR) has begun to fundamentally challenge both the traditional role of the lawyer and the professional obligations of a growing group of practitioners. Lawyers, consultants, auditors, and other professionals increasingly make their living by advising on, implementing, and…
Introducing the Book“Peace, Business, and Democracy: Corporate Responsibility in Peace and Governance”
Are Businesses Responsible for Peace and Democracy? Businesses have a significant impact on both peace and democracy. Advancing peace requires the development of civil societies based on equity, equality, and the protection of human rights, as well as efforts to prevent recurring violence and limit economic losses caused by conflict. Democracy ensures political freedom and…
Rereading Pillar I in the Age of European Due Diligence: Public Actors in Markets
Introduction: From Convergence to Institutionalization The unanimous endorsement of United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 marked an extraordinary moment of global convergence. Since then, the UNGPs have structured the field of business and human rights: national action plans, corporate compliance systems, investor frameworks,…
Extracting Profit, Externalising Responsibility? The Mariana Dam Case and the Future of Parent Company Responsibility
Introduction Ten years after the collapse of the Fundão dam caused devastating environmental damage in the Doce River basin, the question persists: can a parent company extract profit from hazardous operations conducted through its subsidiaries while externalising responsibility when disaster strikes? The successful outcome of the UK High Court proceedings indicates that parent companies may…
Perfectly Foreseeable Harm and the Design Limits of Human Rights Due Diligence: Reflections from X-Press Pearl
When the cargo vessel X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka in May 2021, attention initially focused on emergency response. The ship burned for days before eventually sinking, releasing hazardous chemicals and billions of plastic pellets into the Indian Ocean. Fishing was suspended along large stretches of the coastline. For many coastal…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.