Dr Claire Methven O'Brien

Claire Methven O’Brien an internationally renowned expert in human rights, with twenty years' experience of advising governments, global businesses, international financial institutions, and human rights organisations. 

Her published works include Research Methods in Human Rights (2024, Edward Elgar), Human Rights Due Diligence Laws: Current State and Future Trajectories (2026 forthcoming, Routledge), Business and human rights. A Handbook for Legal Practitioners (2019, Council of Europe), Public procurement and human rights: Opportunities, Risks and Dilemmas for the State as Buyer (2019, Edward Elgar).

Claire is Reader in Law at the University of Dundee She was formerly Chief Adviser and Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights. She is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Management at the University of St. Andrews.

Since joining the University of Dundee in 2020 as a Baxter Fellow, Claire established the LLM Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights and ESG Law, the first such course worldwide.

Claire regularly provides legal and policy analysis for international bodies and has advised the European Parliament, European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, Council of Europe, Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), governments of the United States and Japan, the International Organisation of Employers, International Chambers of Commerce and, International Bar Association amongst others. 

Claire holds a PhD from the European University Institute, Florence, and other degrees from Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science and City University, London. Claire is a Barrister called to the London Bar (non-practising) and a member of the Middle Temple.

She sits on the Editorial Board of Cambridge University Press’ Business and Human Rights Journal. 

She has been a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Human Rights of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and held visiting positions at the University of Groningen Department for International Law and New York University School of Law. 

Claire has guest lectured at the University of Zurich, University of Pretoria Human Rights Centre, University of Groningen, Åbo Akademi University, University of Leiden, University of Copenhagen, University of Oslo, Norwegian School of Economics and Copenhagen Business School and University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School.

Dr Methven O’Brien is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She is also a member of the Constitutional Law and Human Rights Sub-committee of the Law Society of Scotland.

• United Nations
• Human rights law
• Council of Europe
• European Union – human rights and sustainability regulation
• Corporate sustainability
• Forced labour and modern slavery
• Women’s human rights
• Human rights in Scotland