LACMO updates June 2026

Law of Armed Conflict and Military Operations

25 May 2026

The research group LACMO investigates the role of law, in particular public international law, in relation to a wide variety of military operations and security challenges. Below are their latest updates including publications, presentations and media appearances.

PhD defences

On 17 February 2026 Bas van Hoek defended his PhD dissertation entitled 'It Takes Two To Tango; A Legal Analysis of the Dual Oversight Regime Governing the Use of Force by the Netherlands Armed Forces'. Prof. T.D. Gill was the supervisor and Dr. J.E.D. Voetelink the co-supervisor.

On 18 March 2026 Klaudia Klonowska defended her PhD dissertation entitled ‘TECHNO-LEGAL TINKERING IN WAR AI Decision-Support Systems and International Humanitarian Law’. Supervisors were Prof. Thilo Marauhn and Prof. Marten Zwanenburg. Co-supervisor was Dr. Berenice Boutin.

Read an interview with Klaudia

On 25 March 2026 Taylor Woodcock defended her PhD dissertation entitled ‘Human-Machine (Learning) Interactions: War and Law in the AI Era’. Supervisors were Prof. Marten Zwanenburg and Prof. Tom van Engers. Co-supervisor was Dr. Berenice Boutin.

Read an interview with Taylor

Publications

Terry Gill

Ducheine, Gill, Pijpers and Zwanenburg (eds.) Research Agenda for Military Law, Edward Elgar (Open access) 2025 182 pp.

“The Role of the Jus ad Bellum in the International Legal System and the Conduct of Military Operations’ in Ducheine et al.(eds.) Research Agenda for Military Law, 7-16

& J.F.R. (Hans) Boddens Hosang, “Reconciling Legal Obligations applicable to Military Operations” in Ducheine et al. Research Agenda… pp. 157-168

Karsten Meijer

& S. Blockmans, Designing EU Defence Authority: Differentiated Integration and Institutional and Procedural Constraints. Forthcoming in European Law Review (2026).
& S. Blockmans. Pioneers Wanted: On the Differentiated Integration Pathways Towards a Genuine European Defence Union, Verfassungsblog, 2026/4/28,
Militair heeft Europa geen defensieprobleem. Institutioneel wel: Van defensiegereedheid naar institutionele defensiegereedheid, Atlantisch Perspectief 2026.
Defensie, legitimiteit en staatsrecht: constitutionele vragen rondom het nieuwe coalitieakkoord. Nederlandrechtsstaat, 2026.

Peter Pijpers

& Ducheine, P.A.L (2026) “The Elephants in the Room: IT-companies and the Roads to War”, in A Research Agenda for Military Law (eds) Gill, T.D., Ducheine, P.A.L., Zwanenburg, M.C., Pijpers, B.M.J. (Edward Elgar).
& Gill, T.D., Ducheine, P.A.L., Zwanenburg, M.C. (2026) “The Evolving Architecture Of The International Law Of Military Operations: Mapping The Future Of Legal Research In Armed Conflict” Articles of War, Lieber Institute West Point.

Kinga Tibori-Szabo

‘Extraterritorial Use of Force against Non-State Actors’, in C. Ryngaert et al (eds), Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Extraterritoriality and the Law (Elgar 2026) (forthcoming)

Joop Voetelink

“Export controls in international law” The Military Law and Law of War Review 63:2 (March 2026) pp. 128-160

Marten Zwanenburg

& M. Strik, One Year On: Assessing North Korea’s Legal Status in the Russian-Ukrainian War, Law & Safety (2026) 104 -14
M.C. Zwanenburg, Oekraïne en Nederland/ Russische Federatie: annotatie bij EHRM 9-7-2025, NJ 2026-64 (together with Cedric Ryngaert)
L. Handel-Mazzetti, A. Vermeer & M.C. Zwanenburg, Self-Defence Zones in Outer Space under International Law: A Lawful A2/AD Measure?, in Edwin Dado, René Janssen, Roy Hamans, Marc Gouw and Kerry Malone (eds) Advances in Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2/AD): From Defensive Technologies to A Whole-of-Society Approach (Leiden University Press 2026) 311 – 321

Presentations

Terry Gill

Protecting Critical Underwater Infrastructure and International Law, Presentation at Conference of the International Society for Military Law & the Law of War, Galway, Ireland, 22 May 2025
European Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats, Expert Roundtable on Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure, 17-18 October 2025
European Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats, Online Presentation and Discussion of Maritime Hybrid Threats, 9 December 2025

Peter Pijpers

TMC Asser Institute, 1 April 2026, on AI/IHL and Cyber, panel on AI in cyber operations and cyber warfare.
SIB Committee of Intellectual Activities, “Trouble at the Gates: Understanding Europe’s Evolving Security Risks”, 20 April 2026, CREA Amsterdam.

Kinga Tibori-Szabo

12-13 February 2026, Kyiv, Ukraine: Protection of cultural property during armed conflict - IHL and ICL perspectives, EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (trainer)
27-28 April 2026, Kyiv, Ukraine: Environmental damage during armed conflict - IHL and ICL perspectives, EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (trainer).

Marten Zwanenburg

EU Advisory Mission for Ukraine, Workshop on Emerging Technologies and International Humanitarian Law: Practical Challenges (trainer), 30 – 31 March, Kyiv
‘Military AI in the Conduct of Hostilities: Distinction, Precautions and Proportionality’, together with dr. Taylor Woodcock, T.M.C. Asser Institute short course on international law and AI, 21 May 2026
Hague Lectures on International Law and Armed Conflict (HILAC) lecture: The Fourth Geneva Convention in light of contemporary challenges in armed conflicts, panel speaker, 24 February 2026

Members in the Media

Peter Pijpers

WNL, Defensie Cyber Strategie, 28 January 2026, feat: https://wnl.tv/2026/01/28/defensie-komt-met-een-nieuwe-cyberstrategie-we-gaan-de-krijgsmacht-en-inlichtingendienst-proactief-samenbrengen-zegt-brigadegeneraal-peter-pijpers
De Balie “Techdenkers: hoe voer je een cyberoorlog”, 28 January 2026 https://debalie.nl/programma/techdenkers-hoe-voer-je-een-cyberoorlog-28-01-2026/ (you tube feat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-ilyhwRuczI
BNR nieuwsradio: “Locked Shields: de jaarlijkse NAVO Cyber oefening”, 21 April 2026.

Marten Zwanenburg

VS bombardeert Iraanse brug: 'Militaire doelen in Iran raken op', RTL Nieuws, 10 April 2026
Hoogleraar militair recht: alleen al retoriek van Trump kan als schending oorlogsrecht worden gezien, de Volkskrant, 7 April 2026
In ongekende escalatie dreigt Trump met de vernietiging van de hele Iraanse beschaving, NRC, 7 April 2026
Trump voert zijn oorlogsretoriek op, 'terugtrekken is gezichtsverlies voor hem', NOS, 7 April 2026
Wat zijn de regels van het oorlogsrecht met betrekking tot (zelfsturende) drones?, EenVandaag, 27 March 2026
Excuses aan nabestaanden bombardement Mosul, Nieuwsuur, 25 March 2026
Waarom Libanon weer het strijdtoneel is van Israel en Hezbollah, NRC, 18 March 2026
Regels die het bombarderen van een meisjesschool kunnen voorkomen, vindt Hegseth maar niks, Trouw, 12 March 2026
De VS vuurden een torpedo af op een nietsvermoedend schip. ‘Dan had ik zeker met mijn geweten geworsteld’, NRC, 4 March 2026

LACMO updates June 2026

PhD defences

Publications

Members in the Media

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