Lauren Sanders

Dr Lauren Sanders is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, focusing on export controls, autonomous military systems, and international humanitarian law. She holds advanced degrees from the University of Queensland (LLM, BA) and Australian National University (PhD in universal jurisdiction). Previously a 20-year Australian Army officer, she served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and East Timor, and advised on domestic counter-terrorism operations. She contributes to military law training at the Indo-Pacific Centre for Military Law and ADF's Military Law Centre. Her research informs government and industry on legal frameworks for emerging military technologies.

Research interests include export controls, autonomous weapons systems, international humanitarian law, and state responsibility. She has been awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for her role as Command Legal Officer in Special Operations Command. Her work bridges legal, technical, and strategic challenges in modern warfare, emphasizing accountability mechanisms for new technologies.

Recent articles explore governance of military AI, export control regimes, and the legal review of autonomous systems. She actively participates in global forums like the REAIM Summit and co-leads workshops on AI assurance and AWS responsibility. Her outputs include policy submissions to Australian defense committees and collaborative reports on international law application.