Duncan Blake

Dunkan Blake

Special Counsel, Space Law

Tel: +61 (0)420 473 818
Email: [email protected]

Duncan Blake transferred from the permanent Air Force to the Reserves in January 2017, after 22 years as a Legal Officer in the RAAF. He worked at the tactical, operational and strategic levels at home and on deployment overseas. He deployed on operational tours providing legal support for ADF operations in the Middle East in 2003, 2009 and 2016. Duncan has contributed extensively to doctrine and policy for Defence and whole-of-government, on issues of operations law and space law. He has founded and chaired inter-departmental and international working groups on space law, especially in a military and strategic context.

 

He has undergraduate degrees in Law and Economics, a Master of Laws by coursework from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws by research from McGill University. He is also a graduate of Australian Command and Staff College. His Masters thesis topic at McGill University was on the need for a ‘Manual on International Law Applicable to Warfare in Space’. His thesis topic was the genesis for a multi-year project, bring together international experts across the globe, to draft such a manual to clarify the application of international law to space activities, especially in a military context. Duncan is currently a Managing Editor of the ‘Woomera Manual’ project, which is aiming for publication in 2022. He is also undertaking doctoral research at The University of Adelaide on a topic associated with the project.

Duncan has been a member of the Advisory Council to the Space Industry Association of Australia, he has been the space law advisor for several areas within the Department of Defence, he is a lecturer in space law and strategy at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, and was the Project Manager for the ANGELS Project (Australian ‘Navigational’ Guide Explaining Laws for Space), which is a web resource to help Australian space entrepreneurs to ‘navigate’ the legal and regulatory framework applicable to their space activities (www.spacelaws.com). This is in addition to his role as Special Counsel – Space Law at International Aerospace Law and Policy Group.

Duncan has authored numerous articles, including an article for which he was awarded the 2011 Lieber Society Military Prize by the American Society of International Law. He appears regularly in the print and radio media, writing and speaking on issues of space law. He has spoken at many international conferences and events, including at the United Nations.

Duncan is a husband, father of two, avid road cyclist, mountain biker and skier.