“I remember the overwhelming sense of pride I felt when our team won the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition in 2004. Our two winning students, Ky-Ann Lee and Conway Blake, were both surprised when the victory was announced, and shed tears while they acknowledged the support of their friends and coach. I was initially attracted to UWI’s Faculty of Law because of its tradition of excellence in the area of public international law. Soon however, the enthusiasm and sterling intellectual capacity of my students became strong factors in convincing me to settle in the region. I have tried to develop the capacity in my students to engage in critical reflection. They should be able to apply critical reasoning, including ethical reasoning, to resolving real problems. Finally, I would like empower my students, so that they are able to more easily overcome life’s challenges.”

Dr. David Berry

SENIOR LECTURER
FACULTY OF LAW
CAVE HILL CAMPUS, BARBADOS
Tel: (246) 417-4243 • Email: david.berry@cavehill.uwi.edu

PROFILE

Dr. David Berry teaches the Law Faculty’s introductory courses in the area of public international law, as well as advanced courses including Caribbean Integration Law and International Mooting. The former compares legal aspects of regional organisations in the Caribbean (CARICOM, the OECS), with the European Union, and asks broader questions about the legal structures and processes of integration. International Mooting develops advanced skills in international legal advocacy and provides law students with the opportunity to represent the University at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition. UWI has had considerable success with its international mooting teams in the latter competition: winning the Competition in 2004, winning awards for Best Oralist and Best Memorial, and placing several times in the semi-finals. Dr. Berry has been awarded the Best Lecturer of the Year Award on four occasions by the law student body. Dr. Berry also provides international legal advice to governments and regional organisations in the Caribbean. He has served as an arbitrator in a dispute under the ICSID Convention, and on several Barbadian legal teams including teams for Inter-American Court of Human Rights cases and for the maritime boundary arbitration with Trinidad and Tobago.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Berry has wide-ranging areas of research interest. He has published in the areas of feminist theory, philosophy of law, indigenous rights, democracy and regional integration law. His LLLLM and PhD theses were both in the area of international law, looking at aboriginal self-determination under international law and the interdependence of sovereignty and democracy, respectively. His current research interests include the role of democracy in international law, and the potential for the development of a regional integration jurisprudence by, inter alia, the Caribbean Court of Justice.