Technology and the war on terror is changing modern warfare and challenging our existing international laws.

Professor Noam Lubell will offer an insight into how armed conflicts are changing at a free public lecture at 6pm on Monday 18 November.

His lecture, titled ‘Robot warriors, terrorists, and private contractors: What future for the ‘laws of war’?’, is part of the new Professorial Inaugural Lecture series at the University of Essex.

Professor Lubell, from the School of Law, will speak at the Lakeside Theatre at the University’s Colchester Campus. He will explore how our ability to regulate armed conflicts is being challenged, and examines whether the laws of war are capable of fulfilling their original purpose.

He said: “The law of armed conflict - ‘the laws of war’ - is one of the oldest and most-established branches of international law, helping us define and govern the conduct of those at war. Its focus, until recently, was primarily on conflicts between nation states.

“Nowadays, however, the image of the actor on the battlefield often does not conform to the model picture of a soldier in national military uniform. This transformation has been exacerbated by three developments: the ‘war on terror’, the rising use of private contractors, and dramatic technological advances.”

‘Robot warriors, terrorists, and private contractors: What future for the ‘laws of war’?’ by Professor Noam Lubell - part of the Professorial Inaugural Lecture - will be at the Lakeside Theatre at the Colchester Campus at 6pm on Monday 18 November. Admission is free.

Please email: events@essex.ac.uk to book a place.

• For more information go to our events pages
• More information about the Professorial Inaugural Lecture series