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Called

England and Wales (2024)

Ontario, Canada (2020)

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Introduction

 

Melina Antoniadis was called to the Ontario Bar in 2020 and the Bar of England and Wales in 2024. She is a graduate of Leiden University (LL.M, cum laude) and McGill University (B.C.L and LL.B/J.D).

 

Melina specialises in public international law. She has a diverse practice in international law, human rights, climate change, and cultural heritage law. Particular areas of interest are also international criminal law, including related to crimes affecting cultural heritage, and international arbitration.

 

Melina has appeared and advised in proceedings before the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the European Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Melina is an Editor of the European Human Rights Reports.

 

Melina is the Founder of NOSTOS Strategies, the world’s first dedicated strategic consultancy offering advice to governments, organisations, communities, and individuals on the repatriation of cultural heritage. She is also developing a legal practice in matters relating to cultural heritage, especially in international law governing the protection of cultural heritage, and welcomes instructions in this area.

 

Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Melina is of Greek and Khmer heritage. Melina can also accept instructions in both French and Greek.

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Expertise & experience

 

Melina’s areas of expertise include:

 

  • Arts and cultural heritage

  • Climate change and the environment

  • International arbitration

  • International criminal law

  • International human rights law

  • Public international law

 

During her pupillage, Melina gained broad experience across various criminal and extradition law matters, including advocacy in the Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts and High Court. Melina is eager to grow her practice in extradition law.

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Prior to being called to the Ontario Bar, Melina completed her legal training in Toronto, at the Crown Law Office of the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, the civil litigation office for the government of Ontario. She has previously held positions at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg, the Office of the UN Prosecutor at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, where she assisted with the final submissions in Case 004 (Investigation of Yim Tith), and as part of the international arbitration team at Wilmer Hale LLP in London.

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Selected Matters

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Instructed as counsel for an African State in Request by the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) for an Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States with respect to the Climate Change Crisis (African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights)

 

Advising individuals of an Asian State on the destruction of cultural property and human rights in applications before the European Court of Human Rights

 

Advising an African State on accountability for piracy and armed robbery at sea

 

Appeared as counsel for the African Union (led by Professor Makane Moïse Mbengue) in Request for an Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (ICJ)

 

Advising the Kingdom of Cambodia on the recovery and repatriation of its antiquities looted during the 1970s and colonial occupation

 

Appeared as assistant counsel for the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (led by Professor Makane Moïse Mbengue) in Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by COSIS (ITLOS)

 

Advised the Republic of Vanuatu (led by Professor Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh and Julian Aguon) on the UN General Assembly request for the Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (ICJ)

 

Appeared as assistant counsel for the Republic of the Maldives (led by Professor Payam Akhavan and Dr Naomi Hart) in Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius/Maldives)

 

Advised a group of individuals in a potential application before the European Court of Human Rights under Articles 8 and 14 of the Convention

 

Appeared as assistant counsel for the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Assistant Counsel led by Professor Payam Akhavan and Ms Amy Sander) in Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v Chile) (ICJ)

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Education

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2024: BPP Law School, Bar Transfer Test (Distinction)

 

2019: Leiden University, LL.M (Cum laude)

 

2017: McGill University, B.C.L and LL.B/J.D (J.W. McConnell Entrance Scholarship)

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Languages

 

English (Fluent)

French (Fluent)

Greek (Fluent)

Spanish (Working knowledge)

Russian (Beginner)

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Selected Publications and Speaking Engagements

 

Panellist, American Society of International Law (ASIL) Asia-Pacific Interest Group, ‘New Moves for the Repatriation of Historically Displaced Cultural Property in Asia’ (March 2025)

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Speaker, African Union ‘Preparatory Workshop for the ICJ Oral Hearings on Climate Change Obligations’ (November 2024)

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Guest Lecturer, NYU Center for Global Affairs, ‘Climate Change and Human Rights’ Course (October 2024)

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Speaker, African Union Capacity-Building Workshop on the ‘Request for an Advisory Opinion on Climate Change before the International Court of Justice’ (March 2024)

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Presenter, Conference ‘Climate Change and International Law: The Promise of an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice’ - A Joint Initiative of Blue Ocean Law and Leiden University (Peace Palace, The Hague, 20-21 June 2022) 

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Chair, 11th Annual Conference of the Cambridge International Law Journal, Panel 1: ‘Strengthening the Role of International Courts and Tribunals’ (26 March 2022)

 

Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh and Melina Antoniadis, ‘Vessel for Drowning Persons? The Standard-Setting Potential of International Human Rights Litigation in Addressing Climate Displacement’, Yearbook of International Disaster Law Vol. III (Brill, March 2022)

 

Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh and Melina Antoniadis, ‘Climate Displacement and the Right to Mental Health’ in Simon Behrman and Avidan Kent (eds), Climate Refugees: Global, Local and Critical Approaches (Cambridge University Press, January 2022)

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