This chapter deals with Nuer Protestant hymnody and explains how and why various Nuer Christian groups came to adopt different musical styles and aesthetics. The chapter sketches the history of Nuer hymnody, starting from the colonial period and the work of missionaries, through the development of a large corpus of hymns by Nuer Protestants, to the Pentecostalisation of Nuer church music in recent decades. It then discusses the ways in which Adventists and Messianics responded to the latter process with their own sonic practices and compositions. The chapter shows how different musical styles were grounded in different understandings of the ways in which the divine is made present and different views of the sensibilities and dispositions a born-again must cultivate. It also argues, however, that these styles and aesthetics constantly evolved and were the subject of ongoing conversations and debates that, like Bible Study and Christian literacy, were central to the endless project of born-again subjectivation.

This chapter concludes the historical story arc of the book by identifying the final surrender of the classical doctrine of civil war in international law during the twentieth century. First, it examines the rise of the concept of non-international armed conflicts in the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and its breakthrough in the Geneva Conference of 1949. As the conference rejected the option of framing Common Article 3 in the conceptual language of the classical doctrine, it in fact abandoned the classical law of civil war by choice. The chapter then shows that many international lawyers soon realised the significance of the event, but notes how the classical concepts nevertheless continued to persist in academic writings, especially in Europe. Finally, the chapter discusses the meetings of the Institut de droit international in 1973 and 1975, where academic lawyers as well accepted the end of the classical doctrine.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into judicial decision-making presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in balancing legal certainty and judicial discretion. While AI-driven tools are designed to enhance consistency and efficiency, their growing influence may subtly reshape judicial reasoning, potentially narrowing judicial discretion. This chapter examines how algorithmic recommendations – rather than merely assisting adjudication – can become dominant reference points, steering judicial outcomes toward standardisation over case-specific interpretation. Drawing on empirical psychological research, behavioural law, and economics, and the works of Richard Posner, Aharon Barak, and other legal theorists, the chapter explores the psychological mechanisms underlying this shift, particularly phenomena known as ‘automation bias’ and the ‘anchoring effect’, which may unconsciously influence judicial decision-making. The analysis highlights these psychological and structural challenges, inviting reflection on how AI-driven legal certainty impacts judicial discretion and the space for individualised legal reasoning in modern adjudication.

In this chapter I consider the moral status of radically impaired persons, such as those in a persistent vegetative state. Drawing on earlier arguments in the book, I show that human beings in such states retain their personal nature and entitlement to immunity from intentional killing.

This article offers an assessment of the current state of scholarship on animal ethics in Islam. It first discusses a group of texts that share the preoccupation of demonstrating the superiority of Islam’s animal teachings, thus exhibiting a clearly apologetic tone. Then it turns to the debate on animal ethics in Western academia. By raising challenging questions, the latter holds the promise of delving deeper into the subject, but at its current stage much of it is still hampered by factual inaccuracies and methodological flaws. In conclusion, the article explains why the subject of animal ethics in Islam is particularly deserving of careful study.

The classical doctrine of civil war had a second coming in the scholarly writings of international lawyers. This began in the 1890s around the time of the Chilean and Brazilian naval revolts and the Spanish-American War of 1898. Members of the new cosmopolitan profession of international lawyers sought to formulate a branch of international law to manage the phenomenon of civil war, combining the elements of belligerent recognition, recognition of insurgency, the laws of war, intervention, and state responsibility. Doing so, they produced something of a francophone synthesis of the classical doctrine of civil war at the turn of the century. This chapter explores the gradual process of this synthesis, from the writings of Carlos Wiesse and Antoine Rougier to the work of the Institut de droit international. However, it then concludes with an overview of the great disillusionment of the 1930s and shows how the legal debates during the Spanish Civil War laid bare the bankruptcy of the classical doctrine.

This chapter focuses on AI and its impact on transparency in judicial decision-making. Transparency is one of the core values of the rule of law, and essential for maintaining the trust and accountability of the judiciary and justice system as a whole. Drawing upon semi-structured expert interviews with members of judiciary and legal profession, case law and real-life examples of AI tools, the chapter considers four questions: why transparency matters in the context of judicial decision-making; the information that judges must have and communicate to satisfy the demands of transparency; whether they have access to this information; and, if not, what we might do about this deficit. We argue that two complementary solutions can strengthen judicial transparency in the age of AI: (1) a regulatory framework that mandates disclosure of specific information pertaining to the code and variables used in AI tools; and (2) robust use of the due process duty to provide adequate reasons for a judicial decision that depends upon the output of a predictive tool. These steps are essential to reconcile judicial use of AI with the need for transparency, as a foundational aspect of justice and rule of law.

Ignatius Sancho is largely known for a collection of his letters that were published by his friend after his death. Less well known is the fact that he holds the distinction of being the first published Black composer in Britain known to historians. In contrast to most of his letters, Sancho chose to write and publish at least one book of vocal music and four books of instrumental music over a period of thirteen years. In exploring the meanings of music in Sancho’s life through both production and consumption, this chapter argues that no one aspect of Sancho’s identity can be understood apart from his work in music. Music for Sancho was many things, including a personal avocation, a means of profit, and a vehicle for communicating his political opinions and honoring his friends and family. First and foremost, however, it was a sociable practice and a communal experience.

In this chapter I respond to the claim that medical assistance in dying (physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia) is justified if refusal or withdrawal of life-sustaining care is. I conclude with a reflection on the importance of a norm against intentional killing to the medical profession