Field of work
I am Professor of Law and conduct research primarily in maritime law, military law, international law and emergency preparedness law.
In 2017, I became Professor of Law (Military Law) while working at the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy. Since 2018, I have also worked with maritime law at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).
A recurring theme in my research is the legal framework in peace, crisis and war. I have worked on these issues since 2012, with particular emphasis on the tasks and legal framework of the Norwegian Armed Forces, the use of military force, grey-zone situations, preparedness, and the law of armed conflict. One aim has been to clarify a fragmented and partly inaccessible legal framework, particularly in the grey zones between peace, crisis and war. This work resulted, among other things, in the book Til forsvar av landet [Defending the Nation – Legal Frameworks and Grey Zones] (2019). In connection with its publication, I also pointed to the need for a more clearly defined role for the Norwegian Armed Forces in safeguarding national security in peace, crisis and war.
My second main field is maritime law and maritime regulation. I conduct research on the legal framework for the safe conduct of maritime operations, including ship safety, safety management, navigation, maritime security, and the responsibilities of shipowners, seafarers and public authorities. My book Skipssikkerhetsrett [Ship Safety & Security Law] was published in 2022.
In recent years, these research fields have increasingly converged in my work on maritime security and preparedness. My research includes the role of the merchant fleet and seafarers in Norway’s Total Defence concept, shipping preparedness, requisition of ships, the international law of naval warfare, critical maritime infrastructure, and hybrid threats. The report Handelsflåten i krise og krig [The Merchant Fleet in Crisis and War] (2025) forms part of this work. My research also addresses how civilian maritime resources may be used in crisis and war without underestimating the legal and human consequences.
I have written five legal monographs (books) and a number of articles and book chapters. I have served on public committees, commissions of inquiry and expert groups. I place particular emphasis on combining legal research with practical issues and on communicating research to students, public authorities, the Norwegian Armed Forces, the maritime industry and the wider public.
I teach primarily maritime law, ship safety law, military law, international law and emergency preparedness law.
Books and selected major works
Skipssikkerhetsrett [Ship Safety and Security Law] (2022)
Til forsvar av landet – rettslige rammer og gråsoner [Defending the Nation – Legal Frameworks and Grey Zones] (2019)
Handelsflåten i krise og krig [The Merchant Fleet in Crisis and War] (2025)
Other books, articles and reports are listed in NVA.
Research groups
MarSafe (Deputy Head)