International Justice, Democracy and the Defence of Academic Freedom

Abstract On 6 February 2025, US President Trump signed Executive Order 14203, imposing sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court, claiming that the judicial activity of the Court constitutes an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ to the national security and foreign policy of the USA. This article highlights Rona v. Trump, a constitutional challenge to the sanctions, describing from the author’s personal perspective the professional and personal risks faced as a co-plaintiff. It situates the case and the Executive Order within broader patterns of democratic backsliding, examining their chilling effects on academic freedom, university governance, and law school clinics as critical infrastructure for democratic participation and accountability. By connecting personal experience with institutional analysis, the article demonstrates how political pressure on international justice reverberates through legal education, civil society, and the broader defence of democratic norms.