The Law and Development research group unites researchers who study the role of law in enhancing human dignity and global justice, between and within States in North and South.

The  group takes a critical approach to law, and seeks to investigate what law actually ‘does’ in society, amongst others through interdisciplinary and empirical research.

It was founded in 2006, as one of the research groups of the faculty of law at the University of Antwerp. The Group runs an annual teaching programme on Sustainable Development and Global Justice.

Commemorating Prof. Koen De Feyter

After one year of Professor Koen De Feyter's unexpected and untimely passing, the Law and Development Research Group celebrates his excellent contributions as a professional and scholar. Below are some highlights of the activities promoted by the group for Professor De Feyter's Memorial.

To start, we are particularly proud to highlight a special contribution by Prof. Wouter Vandenhole in Volume 11 (2025) of the Journal of National Law University Delhi (JNLUD). In this piece, Wouter Vandenhole reflects on Koen De Feyter’s profound influence on law and development scholarship, offering critical insights while paying tribute to his intellectual legacy. The article stands as a testament to Koen’s enduring impact on the field and his lasting connection with JNLUD. The article can be found here.

To mark one year since Prof. Koen De Feyter’s passing, we are pleased to share the second release in our commemorative series: the First Koen De Feyter Memorial Lecture: Geographies of Shared Responsibility for Sustainable Development, for Subaltern People(s). This lecture was delivered by Prof. Wouter Vandenhole at the 7th General Conference of the Law and Development Research Network, held in Belo Horizonte from 15 to 18 July 2025. We invite colleagues, students, and the broader community to watch the lecture here.

As part of the initiatives commemorating one year since Prof. Koen De Feyter’s passing, we share today the third initiative: the travaux préparatoires to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development. Quoting the Foreword: “The idea to prepare this collection originally came from Richard Lapper, and Professor Koen De Feyter had agreed to pursue it. Unexpectedly, he passed away on 20 September 2024. This collection is in honour of his enormous contribution to the conceptualisation of the right to development, as well as his active involvement in the elaboration of a legally binding instrument.” We are very thankful to all the people involved in making this project possible! Access the collection here. 

Continuing our commemorative series, Prof. Koen De Feyter’s complete list of publications is now available in a compact format. The collection offers a comprehensive overview of his intellectual legacy, highlighting his contributions to law, development, and human rights scholarship. We are grateful to everyone who helped compile this list, ensuring that Koen’s work is available to and continues to inspire researchers, students, and practitioners worldwide. Access the list here.

On the 26th of September, the Law and Development Research Group held an online event to commemorate Prof. De Feyter's academic and professional legacy. The event was moderated by Prof. Thalia Kruger, Spokesperson of the Law and Development Research Group, University of Antwerp, and saw interventions by Prof. Mihir Kanade, Academic Coordinator and Head of Department of International Law, University for Peace -San José, Costa Rica and Director of the UPEACE Human Rights Centre, on Koen’s work in the context of Right to Development and the travaux préparatoires to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, Prof. George Ulrich, Academic Director, Global Campus of Human Rights - Venice, Italy, on Koen De Feyter’s intellectual legacy as seen through his publications, and Prof. Gamze Erdem Türkelli,  Law and Development Research Group, on the launch of Law and Development Conversations and the symposium "Collective Memories in Tribute of Koen De Feyter’s Legacy". The event can be watched here.

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