Just Access e.V.

18/05/2026

In our latest podcast episode, we have the honour to speak with Michael O'Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.

Prof. O’Flaherty reflects on his role as a “field diplomat” — someone committed to being present where people are hurting most.

We discuss:
🔹 Ukraine and protecting people, not just territory
🔹 Human rights in the age of AI, climate change, and migration
🔹 The discrimination faced by Roma communities across Europe
🔹 Why regulating platforms matters more than banning children from social media
🔹 Youth climate activism and the right to protest
🔹 How to remain hopeful in challenging times for human rights

This is a thoughtful and deeply human conversation about leadership, dignity, and defending rights under pressure.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation: https://shows.acast.com/6666be8ab6f3d900125875e8

04/05/2026

What does violence against mothers actually mean—and why does it matter in international law?

In the latest episode of the Just Access Podcast, we continue our conversation with Sandra Berty, diving into a critical but often overlooked issue: how mothers experience gender-based violence differently—and why the law needs to catch up.

From her recent contribution to the UN Special Rapporteur’s report, Sandra shares powerful insights on:

🔹 Why violence against mothers should be recognized as a distinct category
🔹 The concept of forced motherhood as a continuous form of harm
🔹 Gaps in existing legal frameworks—and how to address them
🔹 What the ICC Ongwen case means for the future of accountability

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in human rights, international law, and gender justice.

🎧 Listen now: https://shows.acast.com/just-access/episodes/violence-against-mothers-the-future-of-accountability

💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts—what developments in this field are you following?

04/05/2026

🚨 We’re hiring: German Lawyer (Volljurist)

At Just Access e.V., we use strategic litigation, advocacy, and education to defend economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights globally.

In just five years, we’ve grown into an internationally recognised NGO working with institutions like the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter_American Court on Human Rights, UN Special Rapporteurs, and more.

Now, we’re looking for a fully qualified German lawyer (Volljurist) to join our team and strengthen our engagement with German law and institutions.

💼 What you’ll do:
• Bridge German law and international human rights work
• Contribute to strategic litigation and advocacy
• Advise on constitutional and administrative law
• Support cases before international mechanisms

🧩 What we’re looking for:

• Fully qualified German lawyer (Erstes & Zweites Staatsexamen)
• Strong background in public law
• Interest in human rights & access to justice
• Fluent in German and English
• Comfortable working in a remote, international team

📍 Practical details:

• Part-time (~10 hours/week)
• Heidelberg-based or remote
• Flexible start date

✨ This is not a traditional legal role — it’s an opportunity to connect domestic law with global human rights impact.

📩 Apply now: [email protected]

Read the full job announcement here: 🚨 We’re hiring: German Lawyer (Volljurist)

At Just Access e.V., we use strategic litigation, advocacy, and education to defend economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights globally.

In just five years, we’ve grown into an internationally recognised NGO working with institutions like the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter_American Court on Human Rights, UN Special Rapporteurs, and more.

Now, we’re looking for a fully qualified German lawyer (Volljurist) to join our team and strengthen our engagement with German law and institutions.

💼 What you’ll do:

• Bridge German law and international human rights work

• Contribute to strategic litigation and advocacy

• Advise on constitutional and administrative law

• Support cases before international mechanisms

🧩 What we’re looking for:

• Fully qualified German lawyer (Erstes & Zweites Staatsexamen)

• Strong background in public law

• Interest in human rights & access to justice

• Fluent in German and English

• Comfortable working in a remote, international team

📍 Practical details:

• Part-time (~10 hours/week)

• Heidelberg-based or remote

• Flexible start date

✨ This is not a traditional legal role — it’s an opportunity to connect domestic law with global human rights impact.

📩 Apply now: [email protected]

Read the full job announcement here: https://lnkd.in/dKmBEDgu



://just-access.de/german-lawyer-volljuristin-just-access-e-v/

28/04/2026

Yesterday, we were proud to take part in the initiative Verlassene Kinderzimmer — a powerful public awareness campaign highlighting the often-overlooked experiences of children affected by family separation, ongoing parental conflict, and disrupted parent-child relationships.

The symbolic installation reminds us that behind every statistic is a child whose emotional wellbeing, stability, and sense of belonging may be deeply impacted.

Children’s rights include the right to protection, to be heard, and to maintain meaningful relationships with both parents wherever safe and in their best interests. These are not only family matters — they are also child protection and mental health issues that deserve greater recognition.

We welcome initiatives that bring visibility to these realities and encourage more child-centred support systems, awareness, and accountability.

20/04/2026

What can a career fighting gender-based violence look like?

In the latest episode of the Just Access Podcast, Dr. Miranda Melcher speaks with Sandra Berty, an international refugee law and gender-based violence specialist, who shares powerful insights from her work supporting survivors in humanitarian crises. She explains why justice is about far more than courts — it can begin with recognition, safety, dignity and being heard.

In this episode, we discuss:

🔹 Gender-based violence in emergency settings
🔹 The realities of humanitarian protection work
🔹 Why listening to communities matters
🔹 Small successes that create long-term change
🔹 Advice for those wanting to work in human rights

A thoughtful and important conversation for anyone interested in human rights, refugee protection and practical access to justice.

🎧 Listen now: https://shows.acast.com/6666be8ab6f3d900125875e8

17/04/2026

We are delighted to welcome Flóra Merész to Just Access as our newest intern.

Flóra is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Public International Law at Leiden University, following her graduation from Leiden University College, where she majored in International Justice. She also completed an Erasmus+ semester at Sciences Po, further strengthening her expertise in international relations.

Her academic and research interests focus on the intersection of "International Human Rights Law, Humanitarian Law, and Criminal Law". In particular, Flóra has conducted extensive research on the use of "military AI" and its implications for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law — a subject central to both her Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.

Flóra is passionate about ensuring that legal research has practical relevance for victims of international crimes and human rights violations, especially in the context of armed conflict.

We are excited to have Flóra join the team and look forward to the valuable perspective, dedication, and expertise she brings to Just Access. Welcome, Flóra!

https://just-access.de/flora-meresz/

Flóra Merész Legal Intern Flóra Merész is a Public International Law LL.M. candidate at Leiden University. She recently graduated from Leiden University College, where she majored…

24/03/2026

🌍 Welcoming a new Legal Research Fellow to Just Access

We are very happy to welcome Sarah Hammerl to the Just Access team as a Legal Research Fellow.

Sarrah brings a strong interdisciplinary perspective to human rights research. She holds an MA in Social Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin and an MSc in International Crimes, Conflict and Criminology from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam).

She is currently pursuing her PhD at the Max Planck Research School in Halle, where her research focuses on human rights fact-finding processes in the digital age — a field that is becoming increasingly important as digital technologies transform how evidence of human rights violations is collected and verified.

Before joining Just Access, Sarrah worked with several leading humanitarian and human rights organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières HK Doctors Without Borders (MSF), United Against Inhumanity, and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights e.V. (ECCHR).

We are excited to have her join our work advancing access to justice and accountability.

Welcome to the team, Sarrah! ⚖️✨

https://just-access.de/sarrah-hammerl/

Sarrah Hammerl Legal Research Fellow With an MA in Social Anthropology from FU Berlin and a MSc in International Crimes, Conflict and Criminology from VU…

09/03/2026

I recently saw a poster outside a classroom that read:
“Who runs the world? Girls!”

It made me stop — not because I disagreed, but because the question might be more complicated than the slogan.

Girls and women have changed the course of history — from the suffragists who fought for the right to vote to today’s activists demanding climate action and social justice. Their courage and resistance opened doors that once seemed impossible to unlock.

But the poster also raised questions for me. Do girls really run the world — or are many still fighting to be heard within systems where power remains largely male-dominated?

And when empowerment is framed as a competition between genders, what message does that send to boys?

In a new post on the Just Access blog, our Senior Adviser Ida Manton reflects on the long struggle for gender equality, the risks of growing gender polarization, and the possibility that the future might require something different: not a battle between men and women, but a broader embrace of human potential beyond rigid binaries.

It’s a thoughtful piece about leadership, responsibility, and how we might move toward a more balanced and inclusive vision of power.

We’d be curious to hear how others see this:
How do we empower girls and women while also building a world that doesn’t deepen divisions between genders?

👉 Read the full blog
Link in comments 👇

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06/03/2026

🎧 New Podcast Episode – Just Access Podcast

What happens when international courts cannot prosecute every atrocity crime? Can domestic courts step in to deliver justice?

In the newest episode of the Just Access Podcast, Dr Miranda Melcher continues her conversation with Ignacio Baeriswyl, a lawyer and PhD researcher at the University of Amsterdam. Ignacio shares insights from his doctoral research on an often overlooked actor in international criminal law: domestic prosecutors who pursue atrocity crimes committed abroad.

We discuss:
• Why national prosecutors are increasingly important in closing the global accountability gap
• How cases related to international crimes are being prosecuted in domestic courts
• The challenges and opportunities of researching international criminal law in practice
• What developments we may see in international justice in the coming years

If you’re interested in human rights, international law, and accountability for atrocities, this conversation offers valuable insights.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://shows.acast.com/just-access/episodes/researching-the-mechanics-of-prosecuting-atrocities

with Ignacio Baeriswyl

03/02/2026

Access to justice doesn’t begin in the courtroom.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Sabina Grigore, PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, we unpack the often-invisible power of prosecutors — and how their discretion shapes who gets access to justice in cases of atrocity crimes.

From deciding which evidence is included, to determining who is legally recognised as a victim, prosecutors act as institutional gatekeepers long before a judge ever hears a case. These early decisions profoundly influence what can ultimately be considered a “just outcome.”

This episode invites a closer look at the human and structural factors behind legal processes — and challenges the assumption that justice is automatic or neutral.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://shows.acast.com/6666be8ab6f3d900125875e8/6981f7cd19ef991f73a35ff1