Outsourcing State Violence: The Case of Australia & Private Military and Security Companies

The arrival of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) as participants in the international security forum has become the source of much debate in security circles. In the last two decades, states have increasingly incorporated PMSCs in their security functions, both domestically and internationally, suggesting a fundamental challenge to the nation state’s monopoly on violence. The thesis examines the outsourcing of violence by the Australian state, and its sovereign responsibilities relating to its use of PMSCs. The thesis argues that, despite multiple legal platforms and legislative mechanisms to hold PMSCs to account for misuse of force, Australian oversight and accountability is not enforced. Furthermore, the research finds current Australian and international regulatory mechanisms are not able to meet the government’s sovereign obligations due to the fracturing of legal responsibility and accountability through outsourcing. Thus, the Australian government’s ability to provide control over the actions of PMSCs is diminished by design, affecting its civil-military relationship in response to responsibility over violence. This thesis offers new insight into the nature of the relationship between the Australian government and PMSCs.