This autumn, the Library is marking the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations with a new series of displays that explores its history, achievements and Gray’s Inn connections. The UN officially marks its eightieth anniversary on the 24th October.
The United Nations formed in response to the Second World War, with the aim of preventing future global conflicts. Over the past eighty years it has worked to maintain international peace and security and protect human rights. Its work has also spread into new areas, such as setting sustainable development goals and working to limit the effects of climate change.
Gray’s Inn has a long tradition of members contributing to the work of the United Nations. Our display aims to highlight their work. We look at individuals such as Gerald Fitzmaurice, who was involved in the drafting of the United Nations charter; Hartley Shawcross, who served as both the United Kingdom’s chief prosecutor at Nuremberg and as Britain’s principal delegate to the UN during its first four years; and Prince Nagendra Singh, who served as President of the International Court of Justice between 1985 and 1988. We also look at many other current and past members, come into the Library to find out more!
Both international and human rights law are specialisms of Gray’s Inn Library. We provide access to the latest legal resources, law reports and commentaries on these subjects, alongside preserving older and historically important texts. The Lauterpacht Collection, bequeathed to the Library by Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, also forms a significant part of our international law collections. Within the Lauterpacht Collection there are many official UN publications, that Lauterpacht himself used during his career, working both as counsel before the International Court of Justice, and as a legal scholar. We have a selection of these official publications currently on display. If any visitors to the Library would like to find out more about this collection, or about any of our holdings relating to the United Nations, just speak to a member of our team!
