William Underwood Postdoctoral Fellow

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stockholm University Faculty of Law and Senior Fellow of the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice.  My work examines how law and legal frameworks can be used in practice to strengthen the inclusiveness and effectiveness of peace and political transition processes. In addition to research I also act as a consultant legal and policy advisor on the design of peace and transition processes and agreements. My professional profile can be found here.

Research

In my research I use legal and empirical methods (quantitative and qualitative, including field interviews) to understand the role and effects of law and legal frameworks in relation to peace and transition processes. My current research examines how international law shapes participation and authority in inter-state peace processes, focussing on current and recent processes such as in relation to Ukraine, Palestine and Armenia-Azerbaijan. In my doctoral research I explored how the influence of international law on intra-state (civil war) peace processes affects who decides constitutional change. The published dissertation, We, the Generals: International Law and Authority to Change the Constitution in Peace Processes after Civil War (Stockholm University, 2025), drew on several months of field interviews with negotiators, mediators and political leaders in South Sudan.

Experience

My work draws on over 12 years of practical experience in diplomacy and legal and policy advisory roles. From 2011-16, I served as a diplomat and legal advisor with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As the Embassy legal advisor in The Hague, I advised on, and represented Australia in, negotiations on the design and reform of legal-institutional frameworks, including in relation to the International Criminal Court and the establishment of a mechanism to prosecute those responsible for the downing of flight MH17. I provided legal and policy advice on issues of participation and strategy in multilateral negotiations and contributed to the drafting of resolutions, treaties and other international instruments.

More recently, I have consulted regularly for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), as well as for the UN Mediation Support Unit. My work has included authoring policy papers, and developing knowledge tools for practitioners, on the design of peace and transition processes and agreements, drawing on comparative research. I am an experienced university teacher, and earlier in my career worked as a trainer in international humanitarian law (IHL) for Australian Red Cross. I am admitted as a lawyer (barrister and solicitor) in Australia.

Education

I hold a doctoral degree (LL.D.) in international law from Stockholm University, as well as master’s degrees in public international law (LL.M.) from the University of Melbourne, and in peace and conflict studies (MSSc) from Uppsala University where I was a Rotary Peace Fellow.  I also hold a bachelor's degree in law, history and political science (BA/LL.B.) from the University of Tasmania.

Teaching

I designed and teach an intensive discussion-based masters' level course on International Law, Peace and Post-Conflict Transitions, which includes a peace process simulation exercise. I have also served as course (co-)manager for the courses International Criminal Law and Legal English, and as lecturer in courses on international human rights law. In addition to university teaching I have delivered seminars on international law for the Australian Government's diplomatic training program, and for master's students at the Uppsala University Department of Peace and Conflict Research. I have completed the Stockholm University teacher training program (UL1 and UL2).

Publications

Underwood, W. (2025), ‘Extensions to Transitional Governments: The Uses and Limits of their Regulation’, Annual Review of Constitution Building

Underwood, W. (2025), We, the Generals: International Law and Authority to Change the Constitution in Peace Processes after Civil War (doctoral dissertation, Stockholm University)

Underwood, W. (2023), South Sudan’s Permanent Constitution-Making Process Negotiations: The Influence of International Law and Public Participation (The Sudd Institute)

Underwood, W. (2022), ‘Control of Military Forces’, Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (Oxford University Press)

Mayai, A.T., M. Le Riche and W. Underwood (2022), Democratic Elections in South Sudan (The Sudd Institute)

Underwood, W. (2021), “Emmanuel H.D. De Groof, State Renaissance for Peace: Transitional Governance under International Law, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, pp. 395; Emmanuel H.D. De Groof and Micha Wiebusch (eds.), International Law and Transitional Governance: Critical Perspectives, Abingdon, Routledge, 2020, pp. 165.” 30 Italian Yearbook of International Law 594

Houlihan, E., and W. Underwood (2021), Emergency Law Responses and the Covid-19 Pandemic (International IDEA)

Underwood, W (2019), ‘The Bougainville Independence Referendum and the “Duty to Consult”’ (EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)

Underwood, W., S Bisarya and K Zulueta-Fülscher (2018), Interactions between Elections and Constitution-Building Processes in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (International IDEA)