Rate My Professor Simon McKenzie

Dr Simon McKenzie is a Senior Lecturer in Griffith Law School at Griffith University, where he also serves as Deputy Head of School (Learning and Teaching). He obtained his PhD in international criminal law from the University of Melbourne in 2018. Prior to his current role, McKenzie held positions at the University of Queensland School of Law, including Research Fellow in the Law and the Future of War research group.

McKenzie's research specializations encompass international criminal law and international humanitarian law, with a focus on doctrinal challenges and critical perspectives arising from defence and security uses of emerging technologies. His work addresses autonomous systems, uncrewed maritime vehicles, cyber operations, command responsibility, and compliance with international obligations such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Key publications include "Mercy and International Criminal Justice" (Journal of International Criminal Justice, 2025), "Sovereign Immunity of Uncrewed Surveillance Vehicles and the Limits of Enforcement Jurisdiction" (2023), "AUKUS: The Regulation of the Ocean and the Legal Dangers of Working Together" (2023), "The Legal Requirement for Command and the Future of Autonomous Military Platforms" (2022), "When is a Ship a Ship? Use by State Armed Forces of Uncrewed Maritime Vehicles and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" (Melbourne Journal of International Law, 2021), and "Cyber Operations against Civilian Data" (2021). McKenzie contributes to public discourse via articles in The Conversation on topics like armed uncrewed naval vessels and international law. His research informs maritime cybersecurity and AUKUS policy debates. He is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP260101863) valued at $825,546 for 2026-2028, examining command responsibility in automated targeting systems, in collaboration with Professor Rain Liivoja, Adjunct Associate Professor Lauren Sanders, and Dr Damian Copeland.