Book Launch: "Immunity on Trial" by Miriam Driessen

Set against the backdrop of an extraordinary wave of litigation against Chinese corporations in Ethiopia, Immunity on Trial probes the question of immunity in everyday encounters steeped in highly asymmetrical power relations. Political and legal immunity are justified by the principle that certain social aims outweigh the value of imposing liability. To be exempt from the rules, however, is a privilege granted to or demanded by the powerful, one that is shaped by global inequalities. Drawing on observations from the courthouse, interviews with litigants, judges, and court support staff, and analyses of case files, Miriam Driessen demonstrates how immunity is debated and delegitimized, or affirmed, by those who fight, exact, grant, or weigh it. From the construction site to the police station, from the registrar’s office into the courtroom, she documents tussles over immunity, unravelling the politics of dignity on which they are founded.

Books will be available at a discounted price. A digital open-access version can be downloaded from the UC Press website.

The book will be published on 24 February - I'm excited to launch it in the Old Library.

Friday, 13 March 2026, Old Library, 5pm, following the Departmental Seminar.

All Welcome