The first joint-Leiden & McGill Academic Workshop on Air & Space Law on 18 September 2026, will bring together leading scholars, early-career researchers, and practitioners to explore and debate the most pressing and emerging developments in air and space law.

The Workshop is co-organised by Leiden University and McGill University, with the aim of advancing academic legal discussions in the field of air and space law and providing a high-level academic podium for the presentation of groundbreaking and cutting-edge research, rigorous scholarly exchange, and constructive peer feedback.

Themes

The Workshop will address a broad range of contemporary questions in air and space law, including:

• Public Air Law: Sovereignty, air service agreements, dispute settlement, environmental regulation, aviation safety and security.
• Private Air Law: Passenger protection, contractual and third-party liability, cargo, insurance and aviation finance.
• Emerging Aerospace Technologies: Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, big data, suborbital activities, unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility.
• Defence and Security in Outer Space: Dual-use activities and the militarisation and weaponisation of outer space.
• Commercial Space Activities: Private human spaceflight, large satellite constellations, space-resource utilisation, active debris removal and insurance.

Format

The programme will consist of thematic panels featuring pre-circulated academic papers, short presentations by the authors, in-depth discussion and audience feedback. he detailed programme will be published on this page closer to the date of the Workshop.

Who can attend?

The Workshop is intended for students, PhD candidates, academics, researchers and practitioners working in air and space law or related fields. Scholars from other legal disciplines whose research intersects with air or space law are also welcome. Interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives are particularly encouraged.

Practical Information

Date: Friday, 18 September 2026
Location: Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
Attendance: Free of charge, but registration is required

Booklet & further information

Click here for the booklet.

For further information, please contact the organising committee:

Dr Benjamyn I. Scott
b.i.scott@law.leidenuniv.nl

The draft papers for each presentation can be found in the table below.

 

No.	Title	Speaker
1	That Imperceptible Field: Live Animal Transport Challenges To International Air Law	Juliana Tellez-Wilches
2	More Regulation Or Better Guidance? User Perspectives On Accountability In Aviation AI-Based Systems	Sofia Kyrampalidou
3	Article 3bis Of The Chicago Convention: Outdated Or Evolving	David Woodworth
4	Regulating Anti-Drone Systems In Times Of Extensive Use Of Military Drones	Sophia Stellatou
5	Who Is In, Who Is Out, And Who Should Be? A Transatlantic Perspective On Space Cybersecurity Regulation	Anna Blechova
6		Letizia Ferhati
7	Keeping Secrets In Orbit.  A Preliminary Study Of Trade Secret Protection In Outer Space And In The LEO Commercial Ecosystem	Marco Franzoso
8	International Arbitration For Outer Space Disputes: Current Critical Needs And Emerging Practice	Deborah Housen-Couriel
9	Is There A Need For An International Convention On Passenger Rights?	Delphine Defossez
10	Rethinking Consumer Protection In Air Transport Services Within The Single African Air Transport Market	Arlette Tanga
11	Drip It ´Til They Drop: Regulating Drip Pricing In The Airline Sector Under EU Law	Mario Kuhn
12	Collective Enforcement Of Air Passenger Rights: A Consumer Law Perspective On The Mass Claims Enforcement Gap	Amy Jessica Adams
13	Regulating Orbital Electronic Warfare And Signal Intelligence Under United Kingdom And International Law	Alexander Wallace Watson
14	Nuclearity In Orbit: Prohibitions, Silences, And Effectiveness Between Hard Law And Soft Law	Raoul Cardellini
15	Impact Of The Artemis Accords On Its Signatories’ National Space Laws	Meer Shais Ali
16	The Legal Status Of Automated Collision-Avoidance Decisions: Algorithmic Delegation And The Due Diligence Standard Under Article VI Of The Outer Space Treaty	Aleyna Kilic
17	Flying And Suffering In Silence: Prioritising Pilot Mental Health By Proactively Regulating The Use Of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIS)	Reece Lenting
18	How To Fly An Aircraft In Total Loss: Unanswered Questions In The Aftermath Of Russia’s Aircraft Seizure	Abraham Pardede
19	The War Risk Trigger: Temporal And Causal Uncertainty In Aviation War Risk Insurance	Louis Chabbert
20	Skies Apart: The Dubious Status Of International Flight Between The People’s Republic Of China And Hong Kong	Henry Wong
21	Collateral Damage In Orbit: The Environmental Consequences Of Anti-Satellite Weapons Testing And The Case For Reinterpreting Existing Space Law	Varvara Kut'yina
22	Airports In The Age Of Drones: Balancing UAS Integration And Counter-Drone Security In The European Aviation Framework	Kateryna Vodolaskova