Caroline Tuckett

Caroline Tuckett joined the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer in 2006, upon completion of her MA (Hons) in Ancient History and Latin at the University of Edinburgh. Selected for the Navy Legal cadre in 2008, she completed 3 years of training to qualify as a Barrister. Between 2011 and 2025 she has served in a number of assignments, with a particular focus on international law, the law of the sea and the law of armed conflict. She has provided advice on the full spectrum of military operations, from maritime law enforcement activity through to offensive combat operations from air and sea. 

In 2020, she completed a Master’s by Research in International Law through the University of Exeter, exploring the use of lawfare by the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea. In 2021, in response to fast developing capabilities in the Royal Navy, she provided evidence to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee about autonomous vessels. As a result of her research in this area, she was named the Armed Forces Barrister of the Year in the Employed Bar Awards 2022. She retired from full time service in the Royal Navy as a Commander at the end of 2025.

She is also a Visiting Research Fellow with the University of Plymouth, with a focus on the interplay between sovereign immunity and the protection of underwater cultural heritage. From 2020 to 2024, she represented the United Kingdom on the Group of Experts for the San Remo Manual on International Law applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea and is now a member of the Drafting Committee for its new edition, due for release in 2027.