Thinking Outside the Planet — Defining the Future.

Consider the following three scenarios:

Scenario 1

Landowners can be sued under a theory of premise liability when business invitees trip or slip and fall on their property. But in space, there is no gravity. A driver can hear and see another car coming before entering an intersection. But in space, there is no sound and significantly less light.

How will the conditions of outer space alter tort liability? What new types of tort cases will space lawyers of the future see?

Scenario 2

The days of nation-states asserting sovereignty over terrae nullius are over—virtually every square inch of territory on planet Earth has been claimed. A mining corporation needs a license from a government to dig into the earth and mine for minerals. But in space, the possibilities for new land acquisition are limitless. And in space, there are no governments.

How will dominion be exercised over planetary bodies and asteroids in the future when spacecraft begin landing on them? Will there be any legal restrictions on mining other planets or asteroids? If such restrictions exist, how will they be enforced?

Scenario 3

When a person commits a crime, he or she is normally tried in the jurisdiction where the crime was committed. But in space, there are no nation-states.

Where does a criminal trial take place if a crime is committed in space? Under what body of law is it prosecuted?

In the very near future, lawyers and judges will need to deal with these and many other complex, novel issues of law as space exploration continues to expand. The Intergalactic Bar Association is the only bar association in the galaxy dedicated to pondering these questions before actual cases and controversies arise. When you join the Intergalactic Bar Association, you will have access to legal literature and resources that will prepare you for the Second Space Age.

Join today to explore the universe and define the future!

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