Donald Rothwell is Professor of International Law and Deputy Head of School at the ANU College of Law where he has taught since July 2006. He was previously Challis Professor of International Law and Director of the Sydney Centre for International and Global Law, University of Sydney (2004-2006). His research addresses many intersecting areas of international law with a specific focus on law of the sea, law of the polar regions, and implementation of international law within Australia which is reflected in over 150 articles and book chapters in international and Australian publications. Rothwell has authored, co-authored or edited 14 books including most recently Australian Coastal and Marine Law(Federation, 2011) co-edited with Rachel Baird, The International Law of the Sea (Hart, 2010) with Tim Stephens, and International Law: Cases and Materials with Australian Perspectives with Stuart Kaye, Afshin Akhtarkhavari and Ruth Davis (CUP, 2010).

He is presently working on projects assessing Antarctic security, and diplomatic protection in capital cases and is the current the Co-Editor in Chief of the Australian Year Book of International Law. He has taught a range of courses including Law of the Sea, International Environmental Law, International Law and Use of Armed Force, International Humanitarian Law, Military Operations Law, and Public International Law. Rothwell has acted as a consultant or been a member of expert groups for UNEP, UNDP, IUCN, the Australian Government, and acted as advisor to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). In November 2006 he chaired the Report of the Sydney Panel of Independent International Legal Experts onJapan’s Special Permit (“Scientific”) Whaling Under International Law,and in November 2008 chaired the Canberra Panel addressing the same issue. He was also a member of the Paris Panel of Independent Legal Experts on Special Permit “Scientific” Whaling Under International Law (May 2006). He is a regular media commentator on international law issues and has written opinion columns for all of the major daily newspapers in Australia and regularly appears on The 7.30 Report, and Lateline, ‘AM’, and ‘PM’.