Senior Research Fellow
Overview
Dr Lauren Sanders is a Senior Research Fellow with the TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland in the Law and Future of War project. Lauren’s current research focus is on the application of export control, arms trade and sanctions regimes relevant to the export and brokering of trusted autonomous military systems and associated technology. Her broader research and teaching interests include international criminal law, international humanitarian law and domestic counter-terrorism law.
She completed her initial law studies with the University of Queensland, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her PhD studies were competed at the Australian National University focused on the practical application of universal jurisdiction. She holds an LLM in Legal Practice, Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies and numerous Graduate certificates in military law.
Before returning to the University of Queensland, Lauren spent twenty years as an Australian Army signals officer and legal officer, and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor and on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and a legal advisor to ADF domestic counter-terrorism operations. She is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff College, and was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross for her work as the Command Legal Officer within Special Operations Command.
She is a reserve legal officer, where she is a member of the Principal Writing Team for the Australian Defence Force’s Law of Armed Conflict Manual, and is appointed as an Assistant Inspector General of the ADF.
Research Interests
- War crimes
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University
Publications
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Other Outputs: Atrocity crimes in Ukraine: What can Australia do?
Breitwieser-Faria, Yvonne and Sanders, Lauren (2022, 05 04). Atrocity crimes in Ukraine: What can Australia do? ILA Reporter
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Conference Publication: Built in, not bolted on: the argument for integration of legal considerations during the design and development of novel military technologies
Sanders, Lauren (2022). Built in, not bolted on: the argument for integration of legal considerations during the design and development of novel military technologies. Centre for International Law - International Humanitarian Law and Future Warfare, Pune, India, 28-29 April 2022.
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Other Outputs: Accountability and Ukraine: Hurdles to prosecuting war crimes and aggression
Sanders, Lauren (2022, 03 09). Accountability and Ukraine: Hurdles to prosecuting war crimes and aggression Articles of War
Publications
Conference Publication
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Sanders, Lauren (2022). Built in, not bolted on: the argument for integration of legal considerations during the design and development of novel military technologies. Centre for International Law - International Humanitarian Law and Future Warfare, Pune, India, 28-29 April 2022.
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Sanders, Lauren (2019). Reflections on fighting non-international armed conflicts for 20 Years: the differences in targeting ISIS compared to the Taliban. Respecting Military Law, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 12-13 March 2019.
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The Australian perspective on battlefield evidence and captured enemy material
Sanders, Lauren (2017). The Australian perspective on battlefield evidence and captured enemy material. Captured Enemy Material Conference, Tampa, FL, United States, 3-5 October 2017. USA:
Other Outputs
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Atrocity crimes in Ukraine: What can Australia do?
Breitwieser-Faria, Yvonne and Sanders, Lauren (2022, 05 04). Atrocity crimes in Ukraine: What can Australia do? ILA Reporter
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Accountability and Ukraine: Hurdles to prosecuting war crimes and aggression
Sanders, Lauren (2022, 03 09). Accountability and Ukraine: Hurdles to prosecuting war crimes and aggression Articles of War
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Engaging with the industry: integrating IHL into new technologies in urban warfare
Copeland, Damian and Sanders, Lauren (2021, 10 07). Engaging with the industry: integrating IHL into new technologies in urban warfare International Committee of the Red Cross: Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog 1-5.
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Holding autonomy to account: legal standards for autonomous weapon systems
Sanders, Lauren and Copeland, Damian (2021, 09 15). Holding autonomy to account: legal standards for autonomous weapon systems Articles of War 1-7.
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Sanders, Lauren (2021). Enforcement of crimes of universal jurisdiction in the absence of traditional jurisdictional nexuses: state, regional and international practice in bringing individuals to justice. PhD Thesis, College of Law, Australian National University. doi: 10.25911/5GTE-ZW87
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Developing an approach to the legal review of autonomous weapon systems
Sanders, Lauren and Copeland, Damian (2020, 11 27). Developing an approach to the legal review of autonomous weapon systems ILA Reporter 1-6.
