Sign in

Rain Liivoja

@liivoja.com
1.1K followers 632 following 178 posts

International law, military operations and military technology | he/him | 🇪🇪🇦🇺 Professor @uqlaw.bsky.social | Director @apils.org | Adjunct Professor @helsinki.fi 📍Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia 🔗 liivoja.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 14h
My thoughts on the recent efforts to define "killer robots"
020
Reposted by Rain Liivoja
Asia-Pacific Institute for Law and Security — APILS @apils.org · 07/10/2026
This week, Opinio Juris is publishing a series of posts analysing the recent report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems. Part 1. Introduction: opiniojuris.org/2026/10/05/s...
opiniojuris.org
Symposium on the CCW GGE LAWS: The End of the Beginning – An Introduction
[Jessica Dorsey is an Assistant Professor of International Law at Utrecht University School of Law and Managing Editor of Opinio Juris. Rain Liivoja is a Professor at the University of Qu…
001
Reposted by Rain Liivoja
Douglas Guilfoyle @djag2.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Academic selfie: at #ANZSIL2026 with @liivoja.com @anhertogen.bsky.social, Monique Cormier and Alison Duxbury. All the ANZSIL council office holders in a row!
052
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/06/2026
The inevitable challenge to UK's social media ban for under-16s under the Human Rights Act / European Convention on Human Rights is going to be fascinating www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
theguardian.com
Starmer confirms social media ban for under-16s, saying this is a ‘big moment for our country’ – UK politics live
Prime minister defends going for full ban, saying social media is making children unhappy and unsafe
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 23/09/2025
Misleading headline — there's no international framework; rather some kind of a framework for international students. *But* the story helpfully shows the Gov't continuing struggle to grasp why int'l students come to metropolitan unis and why rents increase futurecampus.com.au/2025/09/20/h...
futurecampus.com.au
New International Framework Aims to Reshape Australian HE
A new framework for international education is set to reposition the sector.
040
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/09/2025
Health care professionals in Melbourne have been denied an opportunity to discuss the impact of war on children's health — seemingly to appease supporters of Israel. Seriously? www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Complaint letter emerges after Melbourne hospital’s decision to cancel ‘children and war’ panel angers staff
Exclusive: Letter to CEO argued event would pose a risk of ‘moral injury, vicarious trauma and harmful workplace behaviours’ to staff and patients
010
Reposted by Rain Liivoja
Asia-Pacific Institute for Law and Security — APILS @apils.org · 09/09/2025
We have published a report of the 3rd Expert Meeting on the Legal Review of Autonomous Weapon Systems held in March 2025. The report provides an insight into current State practice on legal reviews, and a snapshot of non-governmental initiatives and scholarly contributions doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
The cover of the report features the logo of APILS, the title of the report and the names of the authors on an abstract blue background
011
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 07/09/2025
Orakhelashvili's response looks pretty comprehensive. I took the AAP journalist through a shorter analysis of the Montevideo criteria, but they didn't use that. In any event, not sure why a British peer would ask Shaw, a counsel for Israel, for an opinion on Palestinian statehood
240
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 07/09/2025
The debacle at ANU must be enormously distressing for colleagues over there. Senior leaders still fail to grasp that a university's two biggest assets are its people and its reputation. And if you lose one, you also lose the other www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/educati...
thesaturdaypaper.com.au
Exclusive: Inside the Australian National University’s leadership crisis
Amid mounting scandals and a loss of confidence in her management, the Australian National University vice-chancellor is negotiating an exit from her role.
082
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 07/09/2025
If true, this means that Russian authorities will have written records of the political views and activities of these asylum seekers on their return to Russia. Yet we all know what Putin's regime does to dissident. Some of these people will likely die in some penal colony in Siberia
194
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 07/09/2025
Concise explanation from @aapfactcheck.bsky.social as to why the recognition of the State of Palestine does not breach international law. I'm glad to have been able to contribute a few comments
34618
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 16/08/2025
The good folks at TWAIL Review maintain a helpful list of readings on #internationallaw and #Palestine, which includes writings by—*checks notes*—actual Palestinian scholars twailr.com/internationa...
twailr.com
International Law & the Question of Palestine: A Reading List
A resource for anyone researching, teaching or writing about international law’s impacts, iniquities and incapacities in Palestine.
11610
Reposted by Rain Liivoja
Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law @anzsil.org · 16/08/2025
Join us for a joint IILAH/MCF/ILA/ANZSIL OIELIG webinar on the 2025 UN Oceans Conference — Reflections on Proposed Actions to Sustainably Use the Oceans, on 20 August 2025, at 1–2PM AEST / 3–4PM NZST #internationallaw www.eventbrite.com.au/e/iilah-webi...
eventbrite.com.au
IILAH Webinar: The 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference
The 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference – Reflections on Proposed Actions to Sustainably Use the Oceans
001
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/08/2025
This does help explain Judge Sebutinde's recent dissents regarding Palestine. But divine revelation is not really a recognised method of interpreting international law www.middleeasteye.net/news/icj-vic...
middleeasteye.net
ICJ vice-president: 'The Lord is counting on me to stand on the side of Israel'
Judge Julia Sebutinde says signs of the end times 'are being shown in the Middle East'
140
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/08/2025
With NATO #CCDCOE support, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Aleksi Kajander and Maarja Naagel on a project looking at the legal requirements and tech standards for the #cybersecurity of weapon systems. Our paper is now out in OUP's Journal of Cybersecurity academic.oup.com/cybersecurit...
An image of an unmanned ground vehicle (Milrem THeMIS) and a remote-controlled weapon station. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
020
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/08/2025
Reason 783 to ditch Meta "products"
131
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/08/2025
Great speakers and a highly topical issue 👇🏼
030
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 16/03/2025
How far down the path to a constitutional crisis does this take the US? www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/u...
nytimes.com
Brown University Surgeon and Professor Are Deported to Lebanon Despite a Judge’s Order
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist and Brown University professor who had a valid visa, was expelled in apparent defiance of a court order.
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 30/01/2025
Täiesti seosetu sõnavaling. Esiteks iseäralik ettekujutus kultuuriruumist ja selle n-ö kaitsmisest väliste mõjutuste eest. Siis Eesti humanitaarteadlaste arusaamatu materdamine. Lõpetuseks lihtsakoeline arusaam identiteedist
040
Reposted by Rain Liivoja
Karin Schall @karinschall.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Yesterday’s chalking…
077
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 27/01/2025
So coffee is about to become more expensive in the US? That's tough. Lucky cocaine isn't subject to tariffs — that would really cause havoc on Wall Street.
nytimes.com
Trump Hits Colombia With Tariffs in Feud Over Military Deportation Flights
Gustavo Petro said the United States should not treat Colombian migrants as criminals and that he had already turned away U.S. military flights carrying deportees.
040
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 27/01/2025
Judges occasionally use academic writings as unpaid and uncredited research assistance, which is unfortunate. But this is next level — both in terms of the source and the way in which it is used. Also, terrible for the credibility of the ICJ at a critical time
031
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 26/01/2025
A notable numerologist and financial wizard now lectures us on space travel and Australian history. What extraordinary talent we have in the Australian parliament!
180
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 24/01/2025
Let me see if I have this right. It would be inappropriate for a Foreign Minister, who has shown compassion for the Palestinians, to take part in commemorating the suffering of the Jews? And this is coming from a person who accuses everybody else of being divisive? The irony is lost on no one
abc.net.au
Dutton says Wong should not represent Australia at Auschwitz commemoration
The opposition leader said the government's stance on the Gaza war made the foreign minister "the most inappropriate person" to attend.
071
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 05/01/2025
Salaries of senior university executives are certainly obscene. But — chronic public underfunding has forced universities to be entrepreneurial and operate like businesses. The corporate salaries mirror that change
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 23/12/2024
Ah, yes. It's difficult to keep up
110
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 23/12/2024
This would also be beneficial in Australia, where politicians overwhelmingly serve the interests of older voters. But, for the same reason, it seems unlikely
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 23/12/2024
So an invasion of Panama and Denmark are now on the US government'a agenda for 2025? Super
1102
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 22/12/2024
While the buck stops with Putin, the Russian population isn't blameless. As @andrewchak.bsky.social points out, the majority of Russians approve of Putin's imperialism w/r/t Ukraine. For them, "invading another country to seize land and subjugate its people doesn’t even register as problematic."
191
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 22/12/2024
Dear Australian journalists — if you're writing about a judicial decision, for the love of all that's holy, please provide a link to the actual decision (not just your earlier thoughts on the same case, as insightful as those might be). Thank you!
020
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 21/12/2024
Occam's razor seems to favour a societal cause — one based on a greater understanding of variations in human sexuality and their broader social acceptance. I admittedly lack the expertise in (epi)genetics to assess a biological explanation
120
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 21/12/2024
Industrialised convenience?
100
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 21/12/2024
Important study with some really interesting results. I assume that the difference across age groups reflects the increasing willingness to self-identify and self-report at LGBT+. We've come a long way 🌈
160
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 21/12/2024
And I've had this one, framed, on my wall for almost a decade.
230
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 21/12/2024
I didn't always agree with Michael Leunig but I frequently found his work insightful and often just delightfully heartwarming. He will be missed. This piece, Kindness, has always been one of my favourites. I was so pleased to get a signed and inscribed print for someone who was important to me.
Kindness by  Michael Leunig
220
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 20/12/2024
Precisely
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 20/12/2024
Supposedly "this case presents the kind of violence that requires an additional message of deterrence to prevent copycat killers." Hence, the label of terrorism. The US criminal justice works in mysterious ways.
130
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 19/12/2024
You raise an important point. Also, the precise scope of the prohibition of treachery is a really fascinating question — especially whether it extends beyond "outlawry" and circumstances where the perpetrator commits treason.
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 17/12/2024
Insightful piece from the team at @sipri.bsky.social about the China-led assault (my words, not theirs) on export control regimes. Conveniently, this takes place under the guise of a putative right to benefit from international cooperation in science and technology for peaceful uses.
000
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 17/12/2024
Surely it can't be worse than Outlook, which is the absolute pits.
110
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 17/12/2024
Here's a thoughtful piece about three possible future scenarios for Georgia — the bad, the ugly, and good, I suppose
021
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 16/12/2024
Check out the call for papers for the 32nd ANZSIL Annual Conference — International Law: Silence, Forgetting and Remembrance: www.anzsil.org.au/32nd-ANZSIL-... We'll be freezing our hineys off in Canberra 2–4 July 2025 but the incredible ANZSIL spirit will make it worthwhile!
040
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 16/12/2024
Israel's annexation of parts of Golan Heights in 1981 was, and continues to be, a breach of international law (as per Security Council resolution 497). The same applies to further annexations of Syrian territory and new settlement. This is a blatant and illegal land grab.
bbc.com
Israel to expand Golan Heights settlements after fall of Assad
Israel says the move is necessary following the takeover of neighbouring Syria by an Islamist-led rebel alliance.
086
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/12/2024
Who comes up with these kinds of headlines? Ireland is not humiliated. Ireland is standing out as a country that has a principled and values-based approach to foreign policy.
express.co.uk
Ireland humiliated as Israel closes Dublin embassy over 'anti-semitic rhetoric'
Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar says the closure is due to the 'extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish Government' and 'anti-semitic rhetoric'.
1162
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/12/2024
Israel's foreign minister claims that Ireland's recognition of the State of Palestine and its participation in ICJ proceedings against Israel constitute “extreme anti-Israel policies”. No — “extreme policies” are those that the Netanyahu government has been carrying out in Gaza.
nytimes.com
Israel Shutters Its Embassy in Ireland, Citing ‘Anti-Israel Policies’
Amid mounting international criticism of its military conduct in Gaza, Israel says it will deepen ties with countries it considers friendly toward it.
092
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 15/12/2024
Two Russian oil tankers have reportedly broken in half and started sinking in the Kerch Strait. I am instantly reminded of this classic piece of Australian television
youtu.be
Clarke and Dawe - The Front Fell Off [DVD Quality]
YouTube video by GrayT!
072
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 14/12/2024
So now McConnell issues a statement. He has been enabling Trump for years. He is as responsible for what is about to be unleashed as the rest of the Republican leadership
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 14/12/2024
Cute. Is it self-propelled or does one need to pedal it?
110
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 14/12/2024
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning
010
Rain Liivoja @liivoja.com · 13/12/2024
Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
110