Prospect Podcast

Philippe Sands on Trump and the age of impunity

Writer and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands discusses Trump’s America, his new book on Pinochet, and the relationship between law and literature

April 09, 2025
Image: Antonio Olmos / Alamy
Image: Antonio Olmos / Alamy

This week, writer and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands joins Ellen and Alona to discuss the ‘age of impunity’. Are international systems crumbling, or will they stand the test of time?

Philippe reflects on the process of writing his most recent book 38 Londres Street, and the relationship between storytelling and the law. He also discusses representing Palestine at the ICJ and his thoughts on the utility of genocide as a legal term.

And with the arrests and deportations in the US, Philippe discusses the state of human rights under Trump, and what might be next for the country.

Philippe’s book ‘38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia’ is available here.

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