LAW 7172 - Strategic Space Law

North Terrace Campus - Trimester 2 - 2020

This course will examine the legal aspects of space security, globally and domestically. The content of the course will range across the spectrum from peace to conflict and will cover international law and some domestic law applicable to space situational awareness, sharing of technology, expertise and data, space launch, the space component of ballistic missile defence, space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and means to counter these systems, space-based Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT), satellite communications, use of the radio-frequency spectrum and electronic warfare, counter-space operations and force application from space. On successful completion of this course students should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of the intersection of law, strategy and outer space; critically analyse complex problems arising from the application of law to space security; and broadly understand the interests and stakeholders in a variety of contexts associated with strategic space law.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code LAW 7172
    Course Strategic Space Law
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Law School
    Term Trimester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Intensive
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites Students without a Bachelor of Laws must have completed LAW 7177
    Course Description This course will examine the legal aspects of space security, globally and domestically. The content of the course will range across the spectrum from peace to conflict and will cover international law and some domestic law applicable to space situational awareness, sharing of technology, expertise and data, space launch, the space component of ballistic missile defence, space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and means to counter these systems, space-based Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT), satellite communications, use of the radio-frequency spectrum and electronic warfare, counter-space operations and force application from space. On successful completion of this course students should be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of the intersection of law, strategy and outer space; critically analyse complex problems arising from the application of law to space security; and broadly understand the interests and stakeholders in a variety of contexts associated with strategic space law.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Dale Stephens


    For enrolment enquiries please email Dale.stephens@adelaide.edu.au

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1. Undertake legal research at a high level of complexity.
    2. Effectively structure and articulate written legal arguments.
    3. Deploy advanced skills in statutory and treaty interpretation to resolve complex legal problems.
    4. Analyse a complex factual scenario and identify the relevant legal issues.
    5. Articulate complex legal arguments orally.
    6. Identify and evaluate relevant ethical and moral issues in legal situations.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    3,4
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2,5
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    6
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Materials and resources will be made available on MyUni
    Online Learning
    MyUni will be used to post announvements, additional lecture material (including slides, and where available, recordings of lectures) and announce assignment tasks.  It will also contain electronic copies of the Course Profile and Course materials.  Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course will consist of lectures presented in a seminar format over the intensive teaching period.  There will be problem solving tasks introduced through the week as well as more general group discussion on emerging areas of legal and policy interest in this field. 
    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary
    Schedule
    Day Topic
    1 Will include instruction on basic Principles of Space Law and an assessment of key terms included in applicable treaties that relate to military space use.
    2 Will include topics relating to military space applications and the applicable law governing such applications, it will also include consideration of the growing commercial use of space and the legal regime applicable to such use.
    3 Will focus on Military Space Policy of the US, Russia, China and Europe and also explore thiunking in the Australian Strategic Space context.  It will also cover issues relating to the jus ad bellum and jus in bello regarding military space activities.
    4 Will deal with developing space technologies and the applicable law, and will have a number of problem exercises that enables practical application of the concepts developed so far in the week.
    5 Will deal with future developments of space activity including resource extraction activities and the colonization of celestial bodies along with the military legal implications of such activities, it will also cover normative developments in the goverance architecture concerning military activities and efforts to articulate the applicable law in this uncertain future.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    Assessment item % of final mark Dates Length Individual or Group Activity? Redeemable
    Learning Outcomes
    Class participation online 10% End of the teaching week N.A Individual No 2-6
    Short issues Paper 30% 15th June 2020 2000 words Individual No 1-6
    Long Research Essay 60% 13th July 2020 4000 words Individual No 1-6
    Assessment Detail
    The course will comprise three assessment pieces:

    1. Class Participation online 10% - ongoing through the week of teaching.

    2. Short Issues Paper (2000 words) 30% - due  15 June 2020 at 5.00pm.

    3. Research Essay (4000 words) 60% - due  13 July 2020 at 5.00pm.

    Class participation counts for 10% of the overall grade. The course will spend considerable time discussing legal and political issues associated with civilian and military uses of space and the overarching legal framework. There will be ample opportunity for students to engage both individually and within groups on the issues covered.

    Issues paper. The scope of this topic is large and there will be numerous legal and policy issues encountered through the week. Students will be required to identify a particular issue that has resonance with them and write a 2000 word paper examining that particular issue and its policy context. Students may use this short paper to hone arguments that will be used in their long assessment paper or use the opportunity to address a discrete area of interest that may not ultimately feature in their long paper.

    The majority of the course grade will come from a 4000 word Research Essay (long paper). While students will be free to design any relevant (and approved) topic they would like, selected possible topics will be presented progressively through the course for consideration. All topics must be approved by Prof Dale Stephens preferably by the last day of the course.

    Submission of all assignments MUST BE through the Turnitin submission page on the course MyUni page.
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

    Course Grades:
    Finality of Assessment Grades

    Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).

    Moderation
    In accordance with the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:
    • assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
    • detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
    • sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
    • reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
    • comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
    • automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
    • the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.

    Approval of Results by Board of Examiners
    Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester.
  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
    The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

    The centre offers practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

    Lex Salus Program
    Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program.

    Students can participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our Facebook page, website and regular all-student emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness.

    Our Lex Salus YouTube channel also includes videos on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.

    Student Life Counselling Support
    The University’s Student Life Counselling Support service provides free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Student Life Counselling Support service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life.
  • Policies & Guidelines

    This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

    Academic Honesty
    Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

    Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

    Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.