Professor Noam Lubell
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Email
nlubell@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 872568
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Location
5S.6.11, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
During Term: Wednesdays 12:00-13:00. Please email me for a zoom link
Profile
Biography
Noam Lubell is a Professor in the School of Law, University of Essex, and is the Director of the Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub. He was Head of the Law School from January 2014 until January 2017. In past years he was a Lecturer at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway; the Co-Director of the International Law Amicus Curiae Clinic at the Concord Research Centre in Israel; and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He holds a Ph.D in Law and an LL.M, as well as a B.A. in Philosophy. He has taught courses on international human rights law and the laws of armed conflict in a number of academic institutions, including the University of Essex, the National University of Ireland, the University of Oxford, the Geneva Academy, and as a Visiting Professor at Case Western Reserve University. Prof. Lubell held the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law, at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights from 2013 to 2019. From 2010 to 2018 he was the Rapporteur of the International Law Association's Committee on the Use of Force. Prof Lubell is a Senior Research Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in the US, working on the legal, ethical, and policy aspects of new military technologies in general and three areas in particular: protection of humanitarian missions in cyber space; the ethical and legal challenges arising from human enhancement technologies; and military use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. In addition to his academic work, during the last twenty-five years Prof. Lubell has worked for various organisations including human rights NGOs dealing with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as Outreach Coordinator, International Law Advisor, and Director of a Prisoners & Detainees Project. He has also provided consultancies and training in human rights law and the laws of armed conflict on military courses, as well as for bodies such as Amnesty International, government bodies, and the BBC. From 2007-2011 he was a member of the Executive Committee of Amnesty International (Ireland). He has been a member of numerous expert groups and consultations with governments, the ICRC and the UN on topics such as the law of occupation, self-defence, the scope of the battlefield, and autonomous weapon systems. He has taught, researched and published on a variety of topics in the fields of international human rights law and the law of armed conflict, and is the author of the book 'Extraterritorial Force Against Non-state Actors' (Oxford University Press). Prof Lubell recently co-authored the Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law, in collaboration with the Geneva Academy and the ICRC.
Appointments
University of Essex
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Head of School, Law, University of Essex (1/1/2014 - 1/1/2017)
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Director of the Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub, University of Essex (1/2017 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
International Humanitarian Law / Law of Armed Conflict; Conduct of Hostilities; Military Occupation; New Military and Law Enforcement Technologies, including Cyber Operations, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Human Enhancement; The Use of Force by States; Self-Defence; the UN Collective Security Framework; Counter-Terrorism.
Current research
The Legal and ethical implications of new technologies in law enforcement and armed conflict, including cyber operations, autonomous weapons, machine learning systems, and human enhancement technologies.
The concept of proportionality in armed conflict.
The legal frameworks for use of force against transnational armed groups.
Conferences and presentations
AI in Critical Decisions - Keynote presentation
Keynote presentation, DILEMA 2023 Conference, The Hague, Netherlands, 12/10/2023
Legal Challenges in use of AI in Military Operations
NATO workshop on disruptive technologies, 4/2020
Cyber War and AI / The Impact of Human Rights
Operational Law Course, UK Army Legal Services, 2018,2019,2020, 2020
Investigations in Armed Conflicts
Military Prosecutors Workshop, Norwegian Justice System, 11/2019
Contemporary Challenges for International Humanitarian Law
Keynote presentation, Tokyo University, 9/2019
Does New Military Technology Necessitate New Laws
International Commission of Jurists, Canada, 6/2019
Best Practices for Investigations in Armed Conflict: Law and Policy
International Society for Military Law and the Law of War, Seminar for Legal Advisors of the Armed Forces, 6/2019
Investigations during Armed Conflict Workshop for NATO Legal Advisors (Geneva, 2017)
Geneva, Switzerland, 2017
Ius ad Bellum Proportionality and its Regulatory Role During Armed Conflict
International Law Forum, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, 2017
Use of Force in the Cyber Sphere
Cyber Security Research Centre, 2017
Strategic Proportionality as a Regulatory Mechanism for Armed Conflict
Georgetown Law Center, 2017
Autonomous Weapons Systems, International Law Association (Johannesburg, 2016)
Johannesburg, South Africa, 2016
'Legal Complexities in Fragmented Armed Conflicts' United States Military Academy (West Point, 2016)
West Point, United States, 2016
'Transnational Armed Conflicts' The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (San Remo, 2015)
San Remo, Italy, 2015
'Cyber War and International Law' The Royal Air Force Legal Services (London, 2015)
London, United Kingdom, 2015
'The Use of Force and Multi-Territorial Fragmented Conflicts' Oxford University (Oxford, 2015)
Oxford, United Kingdom, 2015
'Current Challenges to the Notion of Military Objectives'The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (San Remo 2014)
Sanremo, Italy, 2014
The Applicability of the Law of Armed Conflict to Drug-related Violence, Columbia University, (New York, 2013)
New York, United States, 2013
The War against Al-Qaeda, UK Defence Academy (Shrivenham, 2013)
Shrivenham, United Kingdom, 2013
Drones and the Global Battlefield, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Geneva, 2013)
Geneva, Switzerland, 2013
'Is the Current IHL Armed Conflict Classification Adequate?' conference organised by the College of Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Bruges, 2012).
Bruges, Belgium, 2012
'Military Objectives in Cyber Warfare', conference organised by the US Naval War College (Newport, 2012).
Newport, United States, 2012
'The Contemporary Legal Nature of UN Security Council Ceasefire Resolutions', conference organised by the International Law Association, British Branch (Nottingham, 2012).
Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2012
'The Principle of Distinction on Future Battlefields', conference organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Minerva Center for Human Rights, Hebrew University (Jerusalem, 2012).
Jerusalem, Israel, 2012
'Military Operations against Armed Groups in Foreign Territory', conference on regional and global security, The International Security Forum, convened by the Center for Security Studies (Zurich, 2011).
Zurich, Switzerland, 2011
'Extraterritorial Human Rights Obligations (from the Flotilla to Bin-Laden), guest speaker at the Public Law Forum, Hebrew University (Jerusalem 2011).
Jerusalem, Israel, 2011
'Targeted Killings under the Law of Armed Conflict and the Rules on Resort to Force', meeting of experts and legal practitioners at Columbia University Law School (New York, 2011).
New York, United States, 2011
'Cyber-war as a form of Armed Conflict', 11th Bruges Colloquium, conference organised by the College of Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Bruges, 2010).
Bruges, Belgium, 2010
'Extraterritorial Human Rights Obligations', conference on the European Convention on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, organised by University College London, the London School of Economics and the International Committee of the Red Cross (London, 2009).
2009
'Transnational Armed Conflicts', 10th Bruges Colloquium, conference organised by the College of Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Bruges, 2009).
Bruges, Belgium, 2009
'Racial Discrimination in International Law', seminar organised by the EU-China Human Rights Network (Beijing, 2008).
Beijing, China, 2008
'Administrative Detention during Armed Conflict and Occupation', meeting of experts organised by the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center, Case Western Reserve University and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Cleveland, 2007).
Cleveland, United States, 2007
'Violence, Resistance and Armed Hostilities during Occupation: The Legal Paradigms and their Implications', conference organised by the Minerva Center for Human Rights, Hebrew University (Jerusalem, 2007).
Jerusalem, Israel, 2007
'Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights', Civil G8 Forum (Moscow, 2006).
Moscow, Russian Federation, 2006
'The Parallel Application of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law', conference organised by the Minerva Center for Human Rights, Hebrew University (Jerusalem, 2006).
Jerusalem, Israel, 2006
'Human Rights Law during Military Occupation', 6th Bruges Colloquium, conference organised by the College of Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Bruges, 2005).
Bruges, Belgium, 2005
'The Relationship between Humanitarian Law and Human Rights', conference marking the International Committee of the Red Cross study on customary international humanitarian law (Oslo, 2005).
Oslo, Norway, 2005
'The Relationship between Humanitarian Law and Human Rights', official launch conference of the International Committee of the Red Cross study on customary international humanitarian law (The Hague, 2005).
The Hague, Netherlands, 2005
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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International Law of Armed Conflict (LW803)
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Current Challenges in the Law of Armed Conflict (LW804)
Current supervision
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/2/2022
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 18/7/2019
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/2/2018
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 7/7/2017
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 7/12/2016
Degree subject: Law
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/10/2014
Publications
Journal articles (12)
Lubell, N. and Cohen, A., (2020). Strategic Proportionality: Limitations on the Use of Force in Modern Armed Conflicts. International Law Studies. 96, 159-195
Lubell, N. and Wood, M., (2019). Guest editorial: The ILA’s 2018 report on aggression and the use of force. Journal on the Use of Force and International Law. 6 (1), 4-11
Deeks, A., Lubell, N. and Murray, D., (2018). Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the use of force by states. Journal of National Security Law and Policy. 10 (1), 1-25
Lubell, N., (2017). Fragmented Wars: Multi-Territorial Military Operations against Armed Groups. International Law Studies. 93, 214-250
Lubell, N. and Derejko, N., (2013). A global battlefield?: Drones and the geographical scope of armed conflict. Journal of International Criminal Justice. 11 (1), 65-88
Henderson, C. and Lubell, N., (2013). The contemporary legal nature of UN Security Council ceasefire resolutions. Leiden Journal of International Law. 26 (2), 369-397
Lubell, N., (2013). Lawful Targets in Cyber Operations: Does the Principle of Distinction Apply?. International Law Studies. 89 (2), 252-275
Lubell, N., (2012). Human rights obligations in military occupation. International Review of the Red Cross. 94 (885), 317-337
Lubell, N., (2011). What's in a Name? The Categorisation of Individuals under the Laws of Armed Conflict. Journal of International Peace and Organization. 86 (3-4), 83-110
Lubell, N., (2007). Parallel application of international humanitarian law and international human rights law: An examination of the debate. Israel Law Review. 40 (2), 648-660
Lubell, N., (2005). Challenges in applying human rights law to armed conflict. International Review of the Red Cross. 87 (860), 737-754
Lubell, N., (2002). Selective Conscientious Objection in International Law: Refusing to Participate in a Specific Armed Conflict. Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights. 20 (4), 407-422
Books (3)
Murray, DP., (2016). Practitioners' Guide to Human Rights Law in Armed Conflict. Oxford University Press (OUP). 9780198791393
Lubell, N., (2010). Extraterritorial Use of Force Against Non-State Actors. Oxford University Press (OUP). 0199584842. 9780191594540
Peel, M., Lubell, N. and Beynon, J., (2009). Medical Investigation and Documentation of Torture: A Handbook for Health Professionals. University of Essex, Human Rights Centre and UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 1 874635 42 0
Book chapters (8)
Lubell, N. and Al Khateeb, K., (2023). Cyborg Soldiers: Military Use of Brain-Computer Interfaces and the Law of Armed Conflict. In: Big Data and Armed Conflict: Legal Issues Above and Below the Armed Conflict Threshold. Editors: Dickinson, L. and Berg, E., . Oxford University Press. 249- 272. 0197668615. 9780197668610
Lubell, N., (2019). Fragmented Wars. In: Complex Battlespaces. Oxford University Press. 3- 32. 9780190915360
Lubell, N. and Prud'homme, N., (2016). Impact of Human Rights Law. In: Routledge Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict. Editors: Liivoja, R. and McCormack, T., . Routledge. 106- 120. 978-0-415-64037-4
Lubell, N., (2015). The Problem of Imminence in an Uncertain World. In: The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law. Editors: Weller, M., Rylatt, JW. and Solomou, A., . Oxford University Press. 697- 719. 978-0-19-967304-9
Lubell, N., (2013). Lawful Targets in Cyber Operations: Does the Principle of Distinction Apply?. In: Israel Yearbook on Human Rights, Volume 43 (2013). Brill | Nijhoff. 23- 43. 9789004236820
Lubell, N., (2012). The War against Al-Qaeda. In: International Law and the Classification of Conflicts. Editors: Wilmshurst, E., . Oxford University Press. 421- 454. 9780199657759
Lubell, N., (2010). Still waiting for the goods to arrive: The delivery of human rights to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In: The Delivery of Human Rights Essays in Honour of Professor Sir Nigel Rodley. Editors: Gilbert, G., Hampson, FJ. and Sandoval, C., . Routledge. 199- 227. 0203844351. 9780203844359
Lubell, N., (2005). The ICJ Advisory Opinion and the Separation Barrier: A Troublesome Route. In: Israel Yearbook on Human Rights. Editors: Dinstein, Y. and Domb, F., . Brill | Nijhoff. 283- 313. 9789004147829
Conferences (2)
Lubell, N., (2011). Cyber Warfare as Armed Conflict
Lubell, N., (2006). Applicability of Human Rights Law in Situations of Occupation
Reports and Papers (1)
Lubell, N. and Wood, M., (2018). International Law Association, Committee on the Use of Force, Final Report on Aggression and the Use of Force
Other (5)
Lubell, N., Expert Opinion on the Involuntary Transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip,Supreme Court of Israel
Lubell, N., Pejic, J. and Simmons, C., (2019).Guidelines on Investigating Violations of International Humanitarian Law: Law, Policy, and Good Practice,International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)/Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Hampson, FJ. and Lubell, N., (2014).Amicus Curiae Brief, Georgia v. Russia (II), 38263/08,University of Essex, Human Rights Centre
Hampson, FJ. and Lubell, N., (2013).Amicus Curiae Brief, Hassan v. United Kingdom, 29750/09,University of Essex, Human Rights Centre
Lubell, N., (2006).Key issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the viewpoint of international law. SSRN Electronic Journal,BBC
Grants and funding
2023
SBE-UKRI: Cumulative Civilian Harm in War: Addressing the Hidden Human Toll of the Law's Blind Spot
Economic and Social Research Council
2021
Protection of Civilians in Conflict
University of Essex (ESRC IAA)
2019
The Interface between Cyber Security and Military Applications of Human Enhancement
The Hebrew University
Promoting Research and Teaching on Human Rights and Drug Policy
Open Society Foundation
Cooperation between the University Essex (via the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy (HRDP)) and the GIZ programme Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD) to roll-out the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh
2018
The Interface between Cyber Security and Military Applications of Human Enhancement
The Hebrew University
2017
International guidelines on human rights and drug control (Phase 1)
The Swiss Confederation
International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Control (Phase 2)
United Nations Development Programme
Duty to investigate
Geneva Academy
Strengthening the development dimensions, expanding political support, and laying the foundations for dissemination of the international guidelines on human rights and drug policy
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh
2015
Law Research - Managed by REO
General
Promoting rights-based drug policy in Europe
Foundation to Promote Open Society
2014
Promoting Postgraduate Teaching and Research On Human Rights and Drug Policy
Open Society Institute
2012
International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy: Promoting Postgraduate Teaching and Research in Human Rights and Drug Policy
Open Society Institute
2011
Human Rights & Drug Policy Debate Series of the International
Open Society Institute
Contact
Academic support hours:
During Term: Wednesdays 12:00-13:00. Please email me for a zoom link
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