Dr Bjarni Már Magnússon
Bjarni Már Magnússon is a Partner at Polestar Legal in Reykjavík and a member of the Icelandic Bar Association. He practises as an attorney-at-law and international legal adviser, focusing on public international law, the law of the sea, Arctic affairs, climate and environmental law, and the legal dimensions of security, defence and foreign affairs. He is also a Research Affiliate at the Geopolitics and Technology Hub of the Cornell Brooks School Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University.
In his legal and advisory practice, Bjarni advises governments, public authorities, international organisations, companies, shipowners and other private actors on complex matters involving international and domestic law. His recent work has included advice on maritime enforcement and jurisdiction at sea, the legal position of foreign-flagged vessels, vessel detention and other coercive measures, port and flag State issues, climate obligations, Arctic governance, and the legal and institutional implications of evolving security and defence policy.
He has particular experience at the intersection of international law and governmental decision-making, including questions concerning State jurisdiction, the exercise of public authority, international responsibility, treaty obligations and the relationship between international and Icelandic law. He also advises on Icelandic administrative and constitutional law where these areas intersect with foreign affairs and international obligations.
Alongside his legal practice, Bjarni has a substantial academic and policy background. He has held professorial positions at Bifröst University and Reykjavík University and has published extensively in his fields of expertise. He is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly works and has lectured and presented at universities, conferences and policy institutions around the world.
Bjarni has served on numerous governmental committees and expert bodies. He is a member of the working group preparing Iceland's submissions to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf concerning the outer limits of Iceland's continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, and he serves on Iceland's Climate Council. He has also participated in international expert and policy initiatives concerning Arctic security and cooperation.
His research and professional work have been supported by, among others, Fulbright, Chevening and NATO's Science for Peace and Security Programme.
Bjarni holds a Ph.D. in law from the University of Edinburgh School of Law, an LL.M. in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami School of Law, a Master's degree in International Relations, and a Cand. Jur. degree from the University of Iceland.