Leonard Hammer
Leonard M. Hammer, Ph.D.,LL.M., is the Director of Outreach and Program Development, Human Rights Practice Graduate Programs (SBS). He is also the David and Andrea Stein Visiting Professor of Modern Israel Studies, Center for Judaic Studies. He has a JD from Georgetown University, an LLM in international law from New York University (NYU), and a Ph.D. in international human rights from the University of London (SOAS). He has worked for 10 years as an International Scholar at the Open Society Foundation, developing human rights graduate law programming in former Soviet satellite states, such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.
Dr. Hammer has conducted extensive research into sacred spaces and holy places with a focus on Israel and Palestine. He has also lectured and researched various projects in Israel, Turkey, Australia, Taiwan, and Canada.
Areas of Study
Specializations include: international law, human rights, Middle East, sacred spaces, human rights education.
Selected Publications
Books:
A Foucauldian Approach to International Law: Descriptive Thoughts for Normative Issues Ashgate Press, 2007
The International Human Right to Freedom of Conscience: Suggestions for its Development and Application, Ashgate Press, 2001
Articles:
Cultural Heritage Protection and Sacred Spaces: Considering Alternative Approaches From Within the Human Rights Framework Columbia H. Rts. L. Rev. (2018)
The 2015 Comprehensive Agreement Between the Holy See and the Palestinian Authority: Discerning the Holy See’s approach to international relations 6 Oxford Journal on Law and Religion 162-179 (2017)
The 2015 Holy See-Palestinian Authority Agreement 24(4) Middle East Quarterly 1 (2017)
Privatization of Prisons in Israel and Beyond: A Per Se Violation of Human Rights? (co-author with William Simmons) 13 Santa Clara Journal of International Law 487- 515 (2015)
Re-examining the Extraterritorial Application of the ECHR to Northern Cyprus: The Need for a Measured Approach 15 International Journal of Human Rights 858-872 (2011)
From Public to Private Law in the Occupied Territories – Expanding the Israeli Presence via the Rule of Law 2 IDF Law Review 299-313 (2007)
Selective Conscientious Objection in International Law 36 Israel Law Review 145-171 (2004)
Indigenous Peoples and the Human Right to Water 10 International Journal on Minority and Group Rights 131-162 (2003)
The Human Right to Culture and Migrant Workers in Israel 11 MSU-Detroit College of Law Journal of International Law 427-457 (2003)
Abortion Objection in the UK and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 6 European Human Rights Law Review 564-575 (2000)
Migrant Worker Rights in Israel and Customary International Law 17 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 5-30 (1999)
Reconsidering the Israeli Courts' Application of Customary International Law in the Human Rights Context 5 ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law 23-41 (1998)
Conscientious Objection in Israel - Does the individual stand a chance? 14 New York Law School Journal of International and Comparative Law 293-316 (1993)
Legal Advertising in Israel - An Overview 5 National Jewish Law Review 37-51 (1990-91)
Book Chapters:
The International Law of Holy Places in the Old City of Jerusalem (co-author with M. Breger) in Najem,T. Molloy, M. Bell, M. and Bell, J., eds. Contested Sites in Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Old City Initiative, Volume Three, Routledge Press, USA, 2018
The Human Right to Dignity and Commodification of Prisoners: Considering Worldwide Challenges to Prison Privatization (co-author with W. Simmons) in Fineman, M. Andersson, U. and Mattsson, T., eds. Privatization, Vulnerability, and Social Responsibility: A Comparative Perspective, Routledge Press, USA, 2017
Intellectual Freedom from within the International Human Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion and Belief in Alfino, M. and Koltutsky, L., eds. Handbook of Intellectual Freedom, Library Juice Press, USA, 2014
Introduction (co-author with M. Breger and Y. Reiter) in Breger, M. Reiter, Y. and Hammer, L., eds. Sacred Space in Israel and Palestine: Religion and Politics, Routledge Press, USA, 2012
Protection of Holy Places in International Law: Objective and Subjective Approaches in Breger, M., Reiter, Y., and Hammer, L., eds. Holy Places in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Confrontation and Co-existence, Routledge Press, USA, 2009
The Legal Regulation of Holy Sites (co-author with M. Breger) in Breger, M., Reiter, Y., and Hammer, L., eds. Holy Places in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Confrontation and Co-existence, Routledge Press, USA, 2009
Interculturalism and Migrant Workers in Israel in Powell, D. and Sze, F., eds. Interculturalism: Exploring Critical Issues Inter- Disciplinary Press, 2004
Discerning Israel's Interpretation of the 1993 Holy See-Israel Fundamental Agreement in Breger, M., ed. The Vatican-Israel Accords: Political, Legal, and Theological Contexts Notre Dame University Press, 2004
The Holy See-PLO Agreement and its Significance for Israel in Breger, M., ed. The Vatican-Israel Accords: Political, Legal, and Theological Contexts Notre Dame University Press, 2004