James C. Simeon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, a Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) Scholar, and a Faculty Associate with the Centre for Support of Teaching (CST) at York University, Toronto, Canada. His teaching and research interests are in the fields of public management, public administration, public policy and administration and international human rights law, international refugee law, and international humanitarian and criminal law.

• 1. Introduction: the research workshop on critical issues in international refugee law and strategies towards interpretative harmony James C. Simeon; 2. From refugee to judge: on refugee law Justice Albie Sachs; 3. The impact of the standard of proof on complementary protection claims: comparative approaches in the European Union and Canada Jane McAdam; 4. Running scared since 9/11: refugees, UNHCR and the purposive approach to treaty interpretation Geoff Gilbert; 5. Asymmetrical sovereignty and the refugee: diplomatic assurances and the failure of due process, Agiza v. Sweden and Alzery v. Sweden Elspeth Guild; 6. Economic harm as a basis for refugee status and the application of human rights law to the interpretation of economic persecution Kate Jastram; 7. The fragmented nature of the international refugee regime and its consequences: a comparative analysis of the applications of the 1951 Convention Nergis Canefe.