Cris van Eijk
@crisveijk.bsky.social
International law, the (space) commons, and how they're made.
PhD @newcastleuni.bsky.social | 🇺🇸🇳🇱🏳️🌈 | 🔊: krɪs van aɪk | he/him
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/law/research/students/current-pgr-students/cristian-van-eijk/
PhD @newcastleuni.bsky.social | 🇺🇸🇳🇱🏳️🌈 | 🔊: krɪs van aɪk | he/him
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/law/research/students/current-pgr-students/cristian-van-eijk/
Pinned
Cris van Eijk
@crisveijk.bsky.social
· Jan 30
The exclusive making of space law | Leiden Journal of International Law | Cambridge Core
The exclusive making of space law
doi.org
Excited to share my new article, 'The Exclusive Making of Space Law', just published in Leiden Journal of International Law. This article took 3 weeks to write the first draft, but 3 years to finalise, and I'm grateful to everyone who helped me along the way.
doi.org/10.1017/S0922156524000554
doi.org/10.1017/S0922156524000554
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
If this doesn't come with a UNGA Uniting for Peace resolution and global condemnation then the prohibition on the use of force is finished and the UN will go the way of the League of Nations.
Ask the international lawyers in your life how they are because right now I wish I weren't 10 years sober
Ask the international lawyers in your life how they are because right now I wish I weren't 10 years sober
January 3, 2026 at 10:51 AM
If this doesn't come with a UNGA Uniting for Peace resolution and global condemnation then the prohibition on the use of force is finished and the UN will go the way of the League of Nations.
Ask the international lawyers in your life how they are because right now I wish I weren't 10 years sober
Ask the international lawyers in your life how they are because right now I wish I weren't 10 years sober
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
I think this feels particularly shocking because no matter how much you stretch the law this has absolutely no basis of legality whatsoever. No terrorists, no "threat" requiring anticipatory self defence. Nothing.
January 3, 2026 at 9:45 AM
I think this feels particularly shocking because no matter how much you stretch the law this has absolutely no basis of legality whatsoever. No terrorists, no "threat" requiring anticipatory self defence. Nothing.
While he was busy with all that mediating, U Thant also faced a drawn-out and racist eviction dispute that went all the way to the NY Superior Court.
And yeah, he was very interested in UFOs - that mention alone meant I’m reading this book!
And yeah, he was very interested in UFOs - that mention alone meant I’m reading this book!
The Buddhist UN Boss Who Excelled at Mediation passblue.com/2026/01/01/t...
The Buddhist UN Boss Who Excelled at Mediation
passblue.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:57 PM
While he was busy with all that mediating, U Thant also faced a drawn-out and racist eviction dispute that went all the way to the NY Superior Court.
And yeah, he was very interested in UFOs - that mention alone meant I’m reading this book!
And yeah, he was very interested in UFOs - that mention alone meant I’m reading this book!
Once again, realising in hindsight that my reading taste is mostly ‘anticolonial battle lesbians’.
Top 5:
Metal From Heaven - August Clarke
Katabasis - RF Kuang
The River Has Roots - Amal El-Mohtar
The City & The City - China Miéville
Asunder - Kerstin Hall
Special Mentions:
The Jasad Crown - Sara Hashem
The Isle in the Silver Sea - Tasha Suri
The Sovereign - CL Clark
Greenteeth - Molly O'Neill
Metal From Heaven - August Clarke
Katabasis - RF Kuang
The River Has Roots - Amal El-Mohtar
The City & The City - China Miéville
Asunder - Kerstin Hall
Special Mentions:
The Jasad Crown - Sara Hashem
The Isle in the Silver Sea - Tasha Suri
The Sovereign - CL Clark
Greenteeth - Molly O'Neill
January 1, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Once again, realising in hindsight that my reading taste is mostly ‘anticolonial battle lesbians’.
I read 33 books in 2025 - I don’t count books related to law, research, or my PhD. Some particular favourites:
January 1, 2026 at 12:41 PM
I read 33 books in 2025 - I don’t count books related to law, research, or my PhD. Some particular favourites:
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
To mark the new year, here are my top 8 blog posts of 2025!
1. I imagined how we would make a feminist map of the Moon, to represent relationships that don't reinforce terrestrial inequalities.
(with contributions from @bettinaforget.bsky.social and @nancyfjorde.bsky.social).
🧪 🔭 #PlanetSci
1. I imagined how we would make a feminist map of the Moon, to represent relationships that don't reinforce terrestrial inequalities.
(with contributions from @bettinaforget.bsky.social and @nancyfjorde.bsky.social).
🧪 🔭 #PlanetSci
A feminist map of the Moon
What if we made a feminist map of the Moon? This is a question I posed on Bluesky in October 2024. To me, the question, methods and results ...
zoharesque.blogspot.com
January 1, 2026 at 7:37 AM
To mark the new year, here are my top 8 blog posts of 2025!
1. I imagined how we would make a feminist map of the Moon, to represent relationships that don't reinforce terrestrial inequalities.
(with contributions from @bettinaforget.bsky.social and @nancyfjorde.bsky.social).
🧪 🔭 #PlanetSci
1. I imagined how we would make a feminist map of the Moon, to represent relationships that don't reinforce terrestrial inequalities.
(with contributions from @bettinaforget.bsky.social and @nancyfjorde.bsky.social).
🧪 🔭 #PlanetSci
Felt this one square in the childhood. All the best to the repair effort!!
In not-very-good news, extreme winds (114 mph gusts) on the early morning of the 25th caused significant damage to the 36" Great Refractor at Lick Observatory. Half of the main shutter broke off and landed on the main building.
December 30, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Felt this one square in the childhood. All the best to the repair effort!!
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
In not-very-good news, extreme winds (114 mph gusts) on the early morning of the 25th caused significant damage to the 36" Great Refractor at Lick Observatory. Half of the main shutter broke off and landed on the main building.
December 27, 2025 at 1:00 AM
In not-very-good news, extreme winds (114 mph gusts) on the early morning of the 25th caused significant damage to the 36" Great Refractor at Lick Observatory. Half of the main shutter broke off and landed on the main building.
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
Merry Christmas!
The President of Peace just bombed Nigeria.
The President of Peace just bombed Nigeria.
December 25, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Merry Christmas!
The President of Peace just bombed Nigeria.
The President of Peace just bombed Nigeria.
Hey, so this could be relevant evidence of:
- the mens rea of the CAH of deportation: knowledge & intent to *deport*, specifically.
- a "policy to commit such an attack", which requires the US govt's active promotion or encouragement of the relevant conduct.
- the systematic nature of that conduct.
- the mens rea of the CAH of deportation: knowledge & intent to *deport*, specifically.
- a "policy to commit such an attack", which requires the US govt's active promotion or encouragement of the relevant conduct.
- the systematic nature of that conduct.
Um, holy fuck, they appear to be trying to rename immigration judges "deportation judges"---this ad just showed up in my Facebook feed
December 24, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Hey, so this could be relevant evidence of:
- the mens rea of the CAH of deportation: knowledge & intent to *deport*, specifically.
- a "policy to commit such an attack", which requires the US govt's active promotion or encouragement of the relevant conduct.
- the systematic nature of that conduct.
- the mens rea of the CAH of deportation: knowledge & intent to *deport*, specifically.
- a "policy to commit such an attack", which requires the US govt's active promotion or encouragement of the relevant conduct.
- the systematic nature of that conduct.
However, that section excepted the civil service. In the UK Foreign Service, the 'marriage bar' obliged women to retire upon marriage until 1973.
Many countries had similar rules. They weren't relics, either - most were enacted *after* WWI or WW2, and persisted the longest in foreign services.
Many countries had similar rules. They weren't relics, either - most were enacted *after* WWI or WW2, and persisted the longest in foreign services.
#OTD in 1919: the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act is passed.
"A person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function, or from being appointed to or holding any civil or judicial office or post"
statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta...
#History #LegalHistory
"A person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function, or from being appointed to or holding any civil or judicial office or post"
statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta...
#History #LegalHistory
1919: 9 & 10 George 5 c.71: Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act.
1919: 9 & 10 George 5 c.71: An Act to amend the Law with respect to disqualifications on account of sex. [23rd December 1919] Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and wi…
statutes.org.uk
December 23, 2025 at 8:14 PM
However, that section excepted the civil service. In the UK Foreign Service, the 'marriage bar' obliged women to retire upon marriage until 1973.
Many countries had similar rules. They weren't relics, either - most were enacted *after* WWI or WW2, and persisted the longest in foreign services.
Many countries had similar rules. They weren't relics, either - most were enacted *after* WWI or WW2, and persisted the longest in foreign services.
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
New article written by @ruthhoughton.bsky.social and Thais Andrade Brugnerotto, 'Constituent Power and the feminist approach: an analysis of the Constituent Assembly in Brazil in 1987'
revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article...
revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article...
Vista do Poder constituinte e a abordagem feminista: uma análise da Assembleia Constituinte de 1987 no Brasil
revistas.ufpr.br
December 23, 2025 at 1:47 PM
New article written by @ruthhoughton.bsky.social and Thais Andrade Brugnerotto, 'Constituent Power and the feminist approach: an analysis of the Constituent Assembly in Brazil in 1987'
revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article...
revistas.ufpr.br/rinc/article...
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
"Get the principals on camera" is such a telling phrase here, because it tells us that for Weiss there's no world in which the victims of these horrific actions can actually be seen as the subjects of the story: They're background noise, and the people who matter are the ones sending them.
Weiss concluded: “We need to be able to make every effort to get the principals on the record and on camera. To me, our viewers come first, not a listing schedule or anything else. And that is my North Star, and I hope it's the North Star of every person in this newsroom.”
December 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
"Get the principals on camera" is such a telling phrase here, because it tells us that for Weiss there's no world in which the victims of these horrific actions can actually be seen as the subjects of the story: They're background noise, and the people who matter are the ones sending them.
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
Firmly agree, and I tend to cite ISO definitions over dictionaries because they've involved archivists. Having said that, my proposal:
Is a 'withdrawal notice' measured in:
- days/weeks => library
- years/decades => archive
Is a 'withdrawal notice' measured in:
- days/weeks => library
- years/decades => archive
December 22, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Firmly agree, and I tend to cite ISO definitions over dictionaries because they've involved archivists. Having said that, my proposal:
Is a 'withdrawal notice' measured in:
- days/weeks => library
- years/decades => archive
Is a 'withdrawal notice' measured in:
- days/weeks => library
- years/decades => archive
A running gag of my research into the 1960s (esp around the UN) is how often I learn that, goddamit, turns out this historical actor was *also* a spy, or a suspected spy, or a double agent, or an informant, or had evidently really pissed off a spy, or-
Absolutely right.
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there.
Let me illustrate …
Not a historian but like to research. The AI might summarize what I'm looking for, but it doesn't find what I'm *not* looking for. The book on the shelf next to the one I wanted. The insight in chapter 6 based on the quote I needed from chapter 4.
December 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
A running gag of my research into the 1960s (esp around the UN) is how often I learn that, goddamit, turns out this historical actor was *also* a spy, or a suspected spy, or a double agent, or an informant, or had evidently really pissed off a spy, or-
To put a point on it... in a town rich with historians in want of a project, it was @carolinebiggs.bsky.social who revealed a multi-century history of university violence against and imprisonment of women. In 2024.
It takes the right person, the right project. GenAI can't do that.
It takes the right person, the right project. GenAI can't do that.
A big part of being a historian is being a detective! Who did this? Why? Where? Why does it matter in the grand scheme of things? You have to learn how to probe, how to uncover, how to read against the grain, how to find unusual sources, how to interpret those sources. How to piece together a puzzle
It also robs students of learning *how* to research.
December 21, 2025 at 11:10 PM
To put a point on it... in a town rich with historians in want of a project, it was @carolinebiggs.bsky.social who revealed a multi-century history of university violence against and imprisonment of women. In 2024.
It takes the right person, the right project. GenAI can't do that.
It takes the right person, the right project. GenAI can't do that.
I established that the White House had leaked the Outer Space Treaty to the NYT & WaPo by obsessively collecting mentions from records in ~6 archives, comparing dates... and then finding the recording of LBJ planning to leak it, which had been online for 5 years.
discoverlbj.org/item/tel-11116
discoverlbj.org/item/tel-11116
December 21, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I established that the White House had leaked the Outer Space Treaty to the NYT & WaPo by obsessively collecting mentions from records in ~6 archives, comparing dates... and then finding the recording of LBJ planning to leak it, which had been online for 5 years.
discoverlbj.org/item/tel-11116
discoverlbj.org/item/tel-11116
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
In this #newblogpost, I discuss the relationship between Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism: how they help us understand and respond to law's inadequacy, dystopia, racial injustice, appropriation of trauma and the algorithmic racist bias of digital technologies.
folukeafrica.com/afrofuturism...
folukeafrica.com/afrofuturism...
Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism Duelling and Dwelling Within ‘Black African Science Fiction’
An umbrella for reimagining racial justice covering a diversity of origins, methods, and futures
folukeafrica.com
December 18, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In this #newblogpost, I discuss the relationship between Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism: how they help us understand and respond to law's inadequacy, dystopia, racial injustice, appropriation of trauma and the algorithmic racist bias of digital technologies.
folukeafrica.com/afrofuturism...
folukeafrica.com/afrofuturism...
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
Interesting how LeoLabs, COMSPOC, and Slingshot all have nothing to say about this
spacenews.com/spacex-claim...
spacenews.com/spacex-claim...
SpaceX claims close approach to Starlink satellite by payload from Chinese launch
A reported close approach between a Starlink satellite and a recently launched Chinese spacecraft highlights the challenges of coordinating spacecraft.
spacenews.com
December 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Interesting how LeoLabs, COMSPOC, and Slingshot all have nothing to say about this
spacenews.com/spacex-claim...
spacenews.com/spacex-claim...
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
December 20, 2025 at 3:13 AM
LeoLabs says they see hundreds of debris objects from the Starlink failure event
I miss when treaties said things...
December 20, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I miss when treaties said things...
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
And once again I'm tapping the sign that privateering and the issuing of letters of marque is a violation of international law as the 1856 Declaration of Paris has been custom for over a century
U.S. lawmakers moved to revive privateering, a practice banished since the age of sail, which will allow government-backed ships to target enemies.
To stop drug boats, GOP lawmakers want to license pirates of the Caribbean
A bill introduced Thursday looks to revive a presidential power from the age of sail, by which Trump could issue letters of marque to modern-day privateers.
wapo.st
December 20, 2025 at 11:35 AM
And once again I'm tapping the sign that privateering and the issuing of letters of marque is a violation of international law as the 1856 Declaration of Paris has been custom for over a century
Every time @pagingdrpaige.bsky.social posts about piracy and Cicero, it gets a tiny bit more likely that some poor sod’s AI cheatbot will scrape what it decides is a meaningful connection, imagine a paper, and deliver us a CttB takedown so thorough as to require several parts, and perhaps a morgue.
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Every time @pagingdrpaige.bsky.social posts about piracy and Cicero, it gets a tiny bit more likely that some poor sod’s AI cheatbot will scrape what it decides is a meaningful connection, imagine a paper, and deliver us a CttB takedown so thorough as to require several parts, and perhaps a morgue.
Reposted by Cris van Eijk
BUTLER: Gender is the effect of endlessly repeated normative acts, a kind of performance.
NEARLY EVERYONE ELSE: A performance like a nativity play?
BUTLER: How many times do I have to explain this-
NEARLY EVERYONE ELSE: A performance like a nativity play?
BUTLER: How many times do I have to explain this-
December 17, 2025 at 12:03 AM
BUTLER: Gender is the effect of endlessly repeated normative acts, a kind of performance.
NEARLY EVERYONE ELSE: A performance like a nativity play?
BUTLER: How many times do I have to explain this-
NEARLY EVERYONE ELSE: A performance like a nativity play?
BUTLER: How many times do I have to explain this-