From harassing ex-partners, dropping harmful materials, protesting the climate crisis at airports, transporting contraband into prisons, disrupting emergency service operations, crashing into property and/or people, attempted cyber attacks, to flying over and capturing footage of sensitive critical infrastructure, widely accessible off-the-shelf drones have been used both recklessly and maliciously. This misuse raises interesting legal questions. To this end, in September 2022, Dr Anna Jackman and Barrister Louise Hooper (Garden Court Chambers) hosted the first in a series of focus groups bringing together a group of lawyers from diverse backgrounds (from domestic violence to national security, public law to aviation) to discuss potential harms associated with the growing advent and availability of drones in UK airspace.

The focus groups are running in association with the ‘Diversifying drone stories’ research project, which explores the use, perception, and impact of drones in changing UK airspace. As many will be aware, drones are used in a growing range of applications and sectors – from inspection and monitoring, to emergency services operations, to commercial deliveries. While associated with a range of benefits, drones are also associated with risks, from accidents to deliberate misuse. Drones therefore raise questions about how airspace is managed, occupied, experienced, and regulated. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), this research project engages with diverse stakeholders (including lawyers, emergency services, industry, pilots, air traffic controllers, local authorities, and members of the public) who variously deploy, design, manage and live under drones, to understand different perspectives on how drones may be (re)shaping UK airspace and everyday lives below.

In recognition that the reckless and malicious misuse of drones can cause a range of potential harms to people, property, organisations and operations alike, the focus groups brings into dialogue lawyers with diverse expertise and backgrounds to examine the legal dimensions of potential drone harms. Structured around interactive discussions and activities exploring: the diversity of drone incidents and how we might categorise them, how participants might proceed if they were handed particular drone incident cases, potential harms and/or legal questions accompanying the advent of particular technology advancements, and key questions and/or issues for legislators and regulators, the first focus group prompted a range of interesting discussions and questions, including:

  • Discussions around the implications of drones on: protest, privacy in public space, trespass
  • The use of drones as tools to harass, and the implications for course of harassment and domestic violence cases
  • How to account for drones used to drop harmful material (e.g. as damage to private property, biohazard, industrial sabotage)
  • The significance of distance between the drone’s pilot and a potential criminal act, and/or the implications of autonomous flights/ pre-planned flight paths
  • The potential for drone noise disturbance

We are now recruiting for upcoming focus groups:

  • An in-person UK-based focus group, in Manchester on 21 March 2023;
  • An online focus group welcoming both UK-based and international participants.

We welcome participants from diverse legal specialisms and backgrounds, and no prior experience with drones is necessary. If you are interested in learning more or participating, please contact Dr Anna Jackman (a.h.jackman@reading.ac.uk) for more information.