This five day course examines current issues concerning detention in three of its phases from a range of perspectives. The Course will start by reviewing the current and emerging law relating to the legal basis and authorities to detain in armed conflict. Areas of both legal and practical concern will be examined before reviewing the direction of travel including the Copenhagen Process.

The Course will then move onto to consider specific legal issues in operations where either detention is the objective, or where there may be particular additional complexities relating to detention and will conclude by considering specific legal issues concerning developments in detainee handling, transfer and assurance, and issues arising out of intelligence sharing.

The course will operate at an unclassified level and under the Chatham House Rule using fictional scenarios to enable participants and speakers to comfortably explore these challenging questions without having to disclose real operations or have their views disclosed outside the Course. It will provide a necessary opportunity for the sharing of experience and reflection on best practice for operators, lawyers or policy makers from the Military, Government Departments or others interested in this specialised and rapidly developing area.