New Captain(s) of the Ship

January marks the third anniversary of Communis Hostis Omnium. This blog originated with an idea to examine the legal issues arising from the growth of maritime piracy, in particular off the coast of Somalia that had reached its peak in 2010. It has been a labor of love for both Matteo and I, representing many nights and weekends of work. And its growth has been not inconsiderable from a modest blog with a readership of one into an important source of legal analysis in a field that continues to harbor lacunae and unresolved political issues. Unfortunately, our other professional responsibilities have not permitted us to maintain the consistent and thorough analysis that we would have liked and it appears time to move on.

Fortuitously, two highly qualified lawyers have stepped forward and agreed to take the helm. From 1 January 2014, Milena Sterio and Michael Scharf will be the new Editors-in-Chief of Communis Hostis Omnium. They bring to this project a strong knowledge of the law of piracy and practical experience in the field. Milena is a Professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.  She has published widely on international law topics, including piracy. Michael is the Acting Dean of Case Western University Law School and is a recognized expert in international criminal law. Both Milena and Michael have participated in UN Contact Group on Piracy meetings and have assisted in fact-finding missions in Seychelles. Our hope is that they will be able to continue to grow this site’s readership and depth of coverage. We welcome them both aboard!

Matteo and I will continue to post on Communis Hostis Omnium as contributing authors periodically and when time allows. But for the moment, we sign off and wish Milena and Michael the best of luck on this new endeavor!