Kent Law School Reader Dr Gbenga Oduntan delivered a presentation on ‘International Space Law and Practice – Current Legal and Business Issues’ at the 59th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos.
In his talk, reported on the Space in Africa website, Dr Oduntan talked about the demilitarisation of space and addressed the five UN treaties on outer space: The Outer Space Treaty; the Rescue Agreement; The Liability Convention; The Registration Convention; and the Moon Agreement. These five treaties deal with issues such as the non-appropriation of outer space by any one country, arms control, the freedom of exploration, liability for damage caused by space objects, the safety and rescue of spacecraft and astronauts, the prevention of harmful interference with space activities and the environment, the notification and registration of space activities, scientific investigation and the exploitation of natural resources in outer space and the settlement of disputes.
Dr Oduntan also spoke about the UN’s five sets of principles on space-related activities: The Declaration of Legal Principles; The Broadcasting Principles; The Remote Sensing Principles; The Nuclear Power Sources Principles; and the Benefits Declarartion.
Dr Oduntan is Reader in International Commercial Law at Kent. He has authored a number of books on space law, including Progressive, Technological, Policy and Legal Regime for the Utilization of Space Solution for Effective Peace Human Safety and National Security (Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 2013); Sovereignty, Jurisdiction, in the Airspace and Outer Space: Legal Criteria for Spatial Delimitation (Routledge, 2012); and Sovereignty and Jurisdiction in Airspace and Outer Space: Legal Criteria for Spatial Delimitation (Routledge-Cavendish, 2011)
Dr Oduntan is a Solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He teaches undergraduates and postgraduates in the fields of critical law and international business transitions and global problems and international law.