Dr Dimitrios Delibasis

Dr. Dimitrios Delibasis is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Law Security & Strategy and a Defense Consultant, who splits his time between his academic interests, the United States Naval Institute and the Centre for International Maritime Security. He is also an Army Reserve Officer and an Associated Faculty Member of the Centre for Critical Studies on Terrorism of the University of Western Ontario.

He completed his postgraduate studies in Georgetown University under the supervision of Colonel Gary Sharp USMC (Ret.) and Commander Thomas Wingfield USN (Ret.). He completed his SJD in 2006 in the University of Westminster under the supervision of Professor Antony Carty. His research interests revolve around strategy, law and the evolution of warfare. He is also interested in Air Naval and Special Operations; Sea Basing and Maritime Security; and in National Security Law. His first book first published in 2006 under the title: “The Right of States to National Self-Defense in Information Warfare Operations” was the first ever effort worldwide to codify existing international legal norms on individual self-defence with regard to Information and Cyberspace Warfare. He is specifically interested in the ‘legally grey areas’ where ordinary criminal and terrorist activity borders and often overlaps with warfare as well as in the advent current of what Professor Bobbitt has defined as the “Market State” and in the activities of modern globalized networked terrorism.

The main scope of his work lies in exploring in depth whether 21st Century networked globalized terrorism is just plain criminal activity or the next stage in the evolution of warfare and if so whether it requires the development of a new regulatory paradigm. Such a paradigm should extend on the domestic as well as on the international arena and should satisfy the new tactical and operational requirements without relinquishing the legal high ground, not only in the field of international law but also in the field of human and constitutional rights.

His writing and publishing activities have all been taking place within the aforementioned context. Dr. Delibasis is currently working along with Colonel Albert Klein USAF (Ret.) who is an Adjunct Professor of Law in the University of Cincinnati on the book: “Ordo ab Chao: Law, Strategy and Cybersecurity in the 21st Century” due for publication by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2016. He is also working with Colonel Klein on developing two specialized graduate courses for professionals for the Air University the NWC and the University of Westminster. The first is a course on “Cybersecurity Law and Policy” and the second is a course on “Law, Strategy and International Security”. The main aim behind the two aforementioned courses is to explore in depth how the advent of 21st Century globalised networked warfare has managed to defeat the basic national security paradigm of the modern State as it has existed since the early 19th Century. Both courses will touch not only upon strictly legal aspects but also upon the tactical, operational and strategic issues that relate to their respective areas of interest. They will also be of a modular format, so that they can be adapted to the specific requirements and background of those attending, taking full advantage of modern synthetic training techniques. Finally, both courses will be open to participation by selected specialists and institutions from the academia as well as the public and private sectors.

Dr. Delibasis has lectured on Air, Space, Naval, Special and Information Warfare Operations and their respective regulatory aspects. He has also lectured on the Right to Use Force against Non State Actors of Aggression and on the Evolution of Law and Strategy and on Human Rights Law. His core module teaching revolves around English Legal Skills and Practice, Equity; Trusts; Land Law; Property Law; Legal Profession & Legal Skills and Legal Skills and Practice. He has also supervised a number of graduate dissertations on the above fields.

Research Interests

Main: The Symbiotic Relationship between Law, Security & Strategy.

Secondary: Air & Space Law & Operations; Asymmetric Warfare; Information Warfare; Jus ad Bellum & Jus in Bello; Special Operations; National Security; Seabasing & Maritime Operations; Strategy & Warfare.

Research Supervision

PhD Dissertation: Cyberlaw Space and Privacy (2013-14).

MA Dissertation: EU Energy Security Strategy for the 21st Century (2012).

JD Dissertation: The IDF & the Law of Occupation (2012).

SJD Dissertation: Information Warfare Legal and Policy Issues (2008-11).

Research Consultancies

Reviewer & Contributor: Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace & Conflict Studies.

Reviewer & Contributor: Journal Military & Strategic Studies.

Reviewer & Contributor: Peace, Conflict & Development: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 

Legal Consultant: British Institute of International & Comparative Law.

Founding Member: BISA Working Group on the Study of Terrorism.  

Research Administration

Director Global Networked Warfare Law & Policy Research Project: It will explore four areas: a) Information Warfare & Cybersecurity; b) Law Strategy & Global Networked Warfare; c) Int’l Maritime Security & Operations; & d) Aspects of Synthetic Environment Training (Air University/University of Cincinnati/University of Westminster, 2016-Onwards).

Editor Special Issue on Cybersecurity Policy and Law for the Journal of Social Sciences (2014).

Editor of White Paper Series on Modern Regional Security Issues for the USAF Office of the Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs (2013).

Editor of a Series of White Papers on Geopolitical and Strategic Issues in the Eastern Mediterranean for the USAF Office of the Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs (2012).

Director Joint research project: International Peace & Security in the 21st Century (Air University, UCL, 2012).

Editor of a White Paper Series on Law, Strategy and Information Warfare Operations for the USAF Office of Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs (2011).

Director Research project on Aspects of Air Space & Ocean Law & Policy (University of Westminster, 2003).

Director Research project on the Conduct of Information Warfare (NATO, 2003-06).