Dapo Akande

Dapo Akande is the Chichele Professor of Public International Law at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law and a Fellow of All Souls College. He is Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC) at the Blavatnik School of Government and has held visiting positions at Yale, Melbourne, and other institutions. Since January 2023, he has served as a Member of the United Nations International Law Commission.

His academic background and research span public international law, with a focus on the law of armed conflict, international criminal law, human rights, law of international organizations, and cyber operations. He is a generalist with deep expertise in the regulation of armed conflict, humanitarian access, and accountability mechanisms.

His recent scholarship addresses critical issues such as the crime of aggression, immunity of state officials, targeted killings by drones, and humanitarian relief in conflict zones. His work on the Oxford Guidance on the Law Relating to Humanitarian Relief Operations, commissioned by UN OCHA, has shaped policy and legal understanding globally. He co-authored the authoritative Oppenheim’s International Law: The United Nations, which won the 2019 ASIL Certificate of Merit.

The trends in his publications reveal a sustained engagement with the evolving legal frameworks governing war, accountability, and state responsibility. His work bridges doctrinal analysis with practical policy impact, particularly in the areas of drone warfare, ICC jurisdiction, and humanitarian law compliance.

Scientific awards and recognition include:

• Certificate of Merit, American Society of International Law (2019)

Akande has served as legal adviser to the UK Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Drones and to multiple international bodies, including the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council, and ICRC. He has advised national courts (including the UK Supreme Court) and acted in cases before the ICJ, ICC, and ECtHR. He is founding editor of EJIL:Talk! and has held editorial roles in leading journals such as the American Journal of International Law and European Journal of International Law.

He leads several research initiatives, including the Oxford Process on International Law Protections in Cyberspace, and previously co-directed the Oxford Martin Programme on Human Rights for Future Generations and the ERC-funded project on the Individualisation of War. He is actively involved in global policy through advisory roles with the US State Department, UK Ministry of Defence AI Ethics Panel, and the Ukrainian Government Working Group on war damage compensation.