This course is a 'hollow log' and the content may vary from year to year. It is designed to accommodate visiting lecturers or to trial a course before introducing it into the full curriculum.

The topic for 2010 will be Space Law

This course in 2010 examines the underlying legal principles that specifically regulate the use, exploration and exploitation of space, and it analyses how these and other principles of International Law can and should be applied to the many different State and private commercial uses of outer space.

Outline of Topics:

1. What is the legal definition of Space?

2. Why do we need a legal regime for Space?

3. The role of UNCOPUOS (United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space)

4. Space Law and Air Law compared

5. The Space Treaties:

• The Outer Space Treaty 1967
• The Rescue Agreement 1968
• The Liability Convention 1972
• The Registration Convention 1975
• The Moon Agreement 1979

6. The United Nations Principles

• Direct Broadcasting Principles 1982
• Remote Sensing Principles 1986
• Nuclear Power Principles 1992

7. Intergovernmental Organisations - INTELSAT, INMARSAT, ITU, ESA

8. Telecommunications and the Geostationary Orbit

9. National regulation of launching activities

10. The Space Activities Act 1998 (Cth)

11. The Environment of Space and the Problem of Space Debris

12. The International Space Station and Space Tourism

13. Traffic Control Issues and Coordination with the Regulation of Air Travel

14. The Commercialisation and Privatisation of Outer Space

15. Financing and Insurance Aspects of Space Activities

16. Exploitation of Space Resources

17. The Needs of Developing Countries

18. Military Uses of Outer Space

19. Resolution of Disputes in Relation to Activities in Outer Space

20. Future Legal Regulation of Space Activities - what needs to be done?

At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:

• demonstrate understanding of the historical evolution of the existing legal regime regulating the use and exploration of outer space
• critically review the five international Treaties and the various United Nations Principles which regulate certain activities in space
• understand the Australian legal framework regarding space activities
• critically discuss and assess the problems and ambiguities within the existing legal regime
• identify the legal issues raised by new uses of space for which the existing legal regime is ill-suited
• demonstrate the ability to conduct original research and write a research paper about a topic in the area of space law

Assessment will take the form of class participation and a research paper. 

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the course homepage on the ANU Law website, prior to the commencement of the course.

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery) over five days

Click here for 2010 Graduate Law Timetable

LAWS8182 / LAWS8256 Principles of International Law

It is recommended that students have an interest in and may have already (or are concurrently studying) public international law. However, this is not a prerequisite to undertaking the course, although it will be assumed that students have an understanding of core principles of international law, particularly relating to the law of treaties and to United Nations General Assembly Resolutions. The reading list provided by the lecturer will direct students to various other texts that will assist them in relation to relevant principles of international law.

Information about prescribed texts will be made available in the course outline. See the course home page

The preliminary reading required for this course will be available from the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.

A reading guide will be available on the Course web page.