Tilman Ruff AO calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons

Leading infectious diseases and public health physician Associate Professor Tilman Ruff AO delivered the 2025 Michael Kirby Justice Oration, co-hosted by the Victoria Law School, Victoria University (VU), and the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre (VU). 

The Australian co-founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation, ICAN (the International Campaign to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons), was introduced by former Justice of the High Court of Australia the Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG. 

Associate Professor Ruff's powerful address, Human rights, justice and turning back the Doomsday Clock: Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki vividly recounted the horrors that unfolded during the 1945 events that killed around a quarter of a million people. 

The 2017 Nobel Peace winner said that the events that took place in Japan 80 years ago remain a warning about what nuclear war would look like today. “There are still 12,240 nuclear weapons in the world, their average size 12 Hiroshima bombs, the largest of them 3000 times Hiroshima size,” Associate Professor Tilman said. 

Using a hypothetical scenario between India and Pakistan, Associate Professor Tilman went on to describe how a nuclear war today would cause 83 to 183 million casualties across both nations, including 52 to 127 million deaths, adding “Such a war would also produce between 16 and 37 million tons of black carbon in sooty smoke from burning cities. This smoke would be quickly lofted into the upper stratosphere and beyond. The sun would heat the rising smoke by 50 to 80°C, lifting and keeping it high in the atmosphere, out of reach of clouds and precipitation, where it would blanket the Earth for more than a decade.”  

Professor Lidia Xynas, Dean of Law said it was an honour to have Associate Professor Tilman Ruff take part in the oration. “The Michael Kirby Justice Oration was first established in 2010 – it pays tribute to Michael’s unwavering commitment to social justice and human rights. Tilman’s address could not be more timely and it was an absolute privilege to hear his views on such a critical issue.” 

Associate Professor Ruff’s address was followed by an opportunity for the large audience to engage in a lively Q&A session, made up of academics, students, and community leaders. 

Special guests included VU Chancellor the Hon. Steve Bracks AC, VU Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker, Professor Lidia Xynas, Dean of Law, Victoria Law School, Professor John Germov, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, Professor Andy Hill Deputy, Vice-Chancellor Research and Impact, Mrs Elizabeth and Beattie VU Council Member. 

In closing the oration, Hon. Michael Kirby called the current situation the biggest challenge of our time. He said that it was difficult to find words of hope, “the beginning of wisdom is to know the problem.”