Dapo Akande has been appointed as international law advisor to a public inquiry established by the New Zealand Government to examine the conduct of New Zealand Defence Forces (NZDF) during the conflict in Afghanistan and, in particular, the actions of the New Zealand SAS during a particular operation (Operation Burnham) carried out in 2010.

Dapo provided a written opinion to the inquiry on the international legal principles and rules that govern predetermined and offensive use of force against identified individuals in the context of non-international armed conflicts. He also gave his views in a public hearing held in Wellington, New Zealand, this summer. His written opinion specifically references the Joint Prioritised Effects List, a list of individuals that the coalition forces in Afghanistan were authorised to capture or to target with lethal force, and deals with the legality of so called ‘targeted killing’ in the context of the conflict in Afghanistan.