The Sydney Centre for International Law was established in 2003 as a centre of excellence in research and teaching in international law.
The centre fosters innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship across the international legal field, and also provides an avenue for the public to access international legal expertise. It operates within the University of Sydney Law School, building upon its well-recognised history of strength in this area.
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Join us on Friday 9 October 2026 from 4.30 pm onwards for drinks, nibbles, and a nuclear-themed cocktail to celebrate the launch of Professor Emily Crawford's new book: A Code of Conduct for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication: Lessons from Informal International Lawmaking.
As the threat of nuclear escalation rises with increasingly fractious situations in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Middle East, the risk of accidental or illegal deployment of nuclear weapons is likewise escalating. Experts in security studies have long called for better clarification on best practice in State NC3. This study explores how each nuclear weapons State structures (and should structure) its NC3 and what international law governs nuclear operations. Given the lack of international law regarding NC3, this book argues that it would be beneficial to adopt a code of conduct or other non-binding instrument outlining any law regarding nuclear weapons operations, including any best practice regarding how States should structure their NC3 systems, given their strategic and policy objectives. In proposing a model code of conduct, this study will examine the existing literature and practice on the adoption and implementation of non-binding instruments in the international law of armed conflict, to better understand how and why non-binding instruments gain traction in State practice. The final chapter will then apply those conclusions to a draft code of conduct for State NC3. This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners of international law and security studies and a valuable resource for those working in the field of nuclear command, control, and communication in government and in civil society.
Date: Friday 9 October 2026
Start time: 4.30pm onwards
Location: The University of Sydney Law School | New Law Building F10 - Level 4 - Common Room
RSVP is essential to emily.crawford@sydney.edu.au
Our main annual event is the 'Sydney Centre for International Law Year-In-Review Conference', where experts from government, academia and civil society catch up on major developments in the past year. We also hold range of exciting events throughout the year.
Join us on Friday 9 October 2026 from 4.30 pm onwards for drinks, nibbles, and a nuclear-themed cocktail to celebrate the launch of Professor Emily Crawford's new book: A Code of Conduct for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication: Lessons from Informal International Lawmaking.
About the book
As the threat of nuclear escalation rises with increasingly fractious situations in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Middle East, the risk of accidental or illegal deployment of nuclear weapons is likewise escalating. Experts in security studies have long called for better clarification on best practice in State NC3. This study explores how each nuclear weapons State structures (and should structure) its NC3 and what international law governs nuclear operations. Given the lack of international law regarding NC3, this book argues that it would be beneficial to adopt a code of conduct or other non-binding instrument outlining any law regarding nuclear weapons operations, including any best practice regarding how States should structure their NC3 systems, given their strategic and policy objectives. In proposing a model code of conduct, this study will examine the existing literature and practice on the adoption and implementation of non-binding instruments in the international law of armed conflict, to better understand how and why non-binding instruments gain traction in State practice. The final chapter will then apply those conclusions to a draft code of conduct for State NC3. This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners of international law and security studies and a valuable resource for those working in the field of nuclear command, control, and communication in government and in civil society.
Event details
Watch recordings of our past events on YouTube:
Sydney Centre for International Law (SCIL) offers paid internship positions to Sydney Law School students as an opportunity for interested students to advance their legal research and writing skills, gain exposure to developments in international law, and develop their curriculum vitae. These roles are periodically advertised via the Law Student Portal in Canvas and the SULS jobs board.
In 2026, SCIL is co-supervising three Sydney Law School interns with the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law (ACCEL) and Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change: Caitlin Ammann, Brendon Seon, and Luke Cass.
In past years, our Centre interns student interns have authored two articles for the Australian Year Book of International Law. One summarises decisions by Australian courts that consider international law; the other summarises international legal proceedings involving Australia. The articles can accessed through a subscription to the Year Book of International Law, and SCIL has made select articles available free of charge at:
Article on international law in Australian Courts in 2022
Rosemary Grey, Mary Crock, Jemima Back, Alistair Boyd, Niamh Callinan, Emma Clark, Timothy Collins, Julian Edwards, Joseph Harman, Mun K. Lee, Catherine Nguyen, Ibrahim Taha, Yuanhang Wang and Liuyuwen Yang, 'Cases before Australian Courts and Tribunals concerning Questions of Public International Law 2022', vol. 41, Australian Year Book of International Law (2023)
Article on international law in Australian courts in 2021
Mary Crock, Mia Bridle, Ben Dajkovich, Bridget Hackett, Emily Halloran, Louisa Lemm, Adam Liskowski, Kathryn McCormack , George Napier , Madeline Pfeffercorn, Mrihika Sreenivasan Shankarla, and Alicia Vakalopoulos, 'Cases before Australian Courts and Tribunals concerning Questions of Public International Law 2021', vol. 40, Australian Year Book of International Law (2022) 377
Article on Australia's role in international legal proceedings in 2021
Mary Crock, Mia Bridle, Ben Dajkovich, Emily Halloran, Kathryn McCormack , Eden McSheffrey, Madeline Pfeffercorn, and Alicia Vakalopoulos, 'Cases before International Courts and Tribunals concerning Questions of Public International Law Involving Australia 2021' , vol. 40, Australian Year Book of International Law (2022) 475
Article on Australia and private international law in 2020 and 2021
S.I. Strong, Kathryn McCormack, Dadar Ahmadi Pirshahid, Mrithika Sreenivasan Shankarla, and Ruoshui Zhang, 'Developments in Australian Private International Law 2020–2021', vol. 40 Australian Year Book of International Law (2022) 508.
Article on international law in Australian courts in 2020
Mary Crock, Rosemary Grey, Freya Appleford, Wendy Chen, Sarah Charak, Christian Cieplik, Anisha Gunawardhana, Jake Jerogin, Adam Liskowski, Jessica Mitchell, Olivia Morris, Anh-Tuan Nguyen, Bianca Tini-Brunozzi, Alexandra Touw and Kevin Zoum 'Cases before Australian Courts and Tribunals concerning Questions of Public International Law 2020’ vol. 39 Australian Year Book of International Law (2021) 351.
Article on Australia's role in international legal proceedings in 2020
Mary Crock, Rosemary Grey, Freya Appleford, Anisha Gunawardhana, Miranda Hutchesson, Jake Jerogin, Emma Kench, Maxine Lucy McHugh, Olivia Morris, Alexandra Touw and Kevin Zou, 'Cases before International Courts and Tribunals Concerning Questions of Public International Law Involving Australia 2020' vol. 39 Australian Year Book of International Law (2021)
