Dr. Tor Klever

Biography

Tor's work focuses on the history and theory of international law, employing critical Marxist approaches. He is currently completing a book manuscript that develops a materialist history of pirate international legal thought. This work reconstructs the conceptual history of pirate international law, analyzing theorizations of legitimate and illegitimate maritime commerce through political-economic contexts. He challenges the common assumptions that piracy is a timeless legal category, tracing how the modern juridical image of pirate and enemy trade shaped during the late 16th century emerged against a backdrop of inter-imperial rivalries and burgeoning merchant capitalist interests. Tor is also developing a research project on the relationship between anti-imperialism and international law, with a focus on 20th-century anti-imperial movements. His recent writings have appeared in notable publications, and he is the co-General Editor of the London Review of International Law, which publishes critical, socio-legal scholarship on international law. Tor joined the University of Cambridge in 2023 after serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick and conducting research in Portugal and Colombia. He holds multiple degrees from prestigious institutions, including a PhD from the London School of Economics and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Research Interests

Experience