Nuclear Weapons Law
Overview
Nuclear weapons remain the most awful and destructive weapons developed by humanity. The overarching goal of detailing these legal frameworks is highly operational.
The mandate: Personnel must fully understand the international law they are required to implement, comply with, and support in their respective roles.
With regard to the broader context of nuclear weapons war, reaching such a broad audience serves a vital operational and legal purpose helping personnel to situate themselves in the context of international law and to become legally aware of the rules they are required to implement, comply with, and support in their respective roles.
What you'll learn
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Explain and synthesise core principles of nuclear weapons law and the relevant parts of international law (use of force and LOAC) to show how the framework operates in high-stakes contexts.
- Apply that framework to scenario-based problems to reach and justify defensible conclusions about legality, obligations, and potential responsibility.
- Critically evaluate and communicate a reasoned position on contested or evolving issues in nuclear weapons law (e.g., key treaties and major legal opinions), in a concise professional format.
Acknowledgements
This short course was developed as part of the Critical Quantum Technology: Creating Scientific Fluency, Ethical Awareness and Policy Options for a Quantum Future Project. This Project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, under the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP).
Some of the research and interviews included in this course were made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. We also wish to acknowledge the contributions made by our AICCTP collaborators at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, India.
The statements and views expressed in this course are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the views or positions of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, or the Observer Research Foundation.
The authors of this course are James Der Derian, Jayson C Waters, Stuart Rollo, Gabi Skoff and Prachi Mishra.
Content
Module 1 - The legal architecture for nuclear weapons contexts
Examine the core international legal framework that governs nuclear weapons issues, building foundational concepts needed to analyse legality and responsibility in high-stakes scenarios.
Module 2 - Conduct of nuclear operations: LOAC rules in practice
Understand how the LOAC operationalises legal constraints and questions about accountability.
Module 3 - Contested and evolving law: authorities, treaties, and change over time
Here, you will compare competing interpretations and craft a defensible view on where the law on nuclear weapons currently is, and where it might be going.
Module 4 - Decision-making, command systems, and professional responsibility
In the final part of the course, you will consider how law interfaces with real decision-making, command and control structures, and individual and professional duties.
Module 5 - Epilogue: Will we see a nuclear weapon used in our lifetime?
Will we see a nuclear weapon used in our lifetime? In this final module, leading experts confront one of the most consequential questions facing humanity today. In The Shadow of the Next Bomb: Nuclear War in Our Time, commentators examine the growing risks of nuclear conflict, the devastating consequences of escalation, and the alternatives that could help prevent catastrophe.
This course is suitable for:
- Military and Policy Professionals: This includes military commanders, operators, policy staffs, and anyone involved at any stage with nuclear weapons or Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3)
- Legal Professionals: The material is also designed for legal advisors and individuals who already possess some working knowledge of international law
- Academics and Civilians: The course is highly accessible to academics, students, civilian personnel, and general audiences who simply have a broad interest in nuclear weapons and the laws governing them
This is a self-paced course delivered via our learning management system, Canvas.
The structure of the course is intentionally designed to be accessible, logical, and closely aligned with its primary text, The Law on Nuclear Weapons: An Introductory Commentary.
Standard enrolments:
- New enrolments: $400
There are no prerequisites for enrolling in this course.
Materials
All course materials are provided electronically through our Learning Management System (LMS) called Canvas 2. After enrolment, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the LMS. If you have been enrolled in Canvas 2 before, log in using the email address you enrolled with.
Software
We recommend using a desktop computer or laptop. Ensure compatibility by accessing Canvas on the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
Viewing on a mobile device? If you're using the Canvas app, please download the latest version and adjust your app settings to access all images and videos on the site.
To be eligible for a statement of completion you must achieve a passing mark of 50% in each module quiz. Quizzes are online, consisting of multiple-choice or yes/no questions, and are designed to let students verify their understanding of the material before advancing to the next lecture.
All courses must be paid in advance of commencing your course. We accept the following payment methods:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- American Express (only available for enrolments made through the Sydney Short Courses website)
- Electronic Funds Transfer (for company invoices only)
- Journal Transfer (for University of Sydney Staff only)
Please see our Payment Options for further information.
I have enrolled in a Sydney Short Courses course, what happens now?
Once your enrolment has been processed, you will receive the following emails:
- Enrolment confirmation: you will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
- Tax invoice: the payer of your enrolment will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
For some courses, you may also receive the following:
- Course reminders: you will receive emails from Sydney Short Courses in the lead up to the course starting. These include information about the course and, if required, the schedule for online or face-to-face sessions.
- Course materials: if you are enrolled in a course that provides reading or other downloadable materials, you will get access to these materials prior to the class commencing.
- Online session links: you will receive reminder emails the day before and the day of each live session containing the meeting link and meeting ID.
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