War crimes and the conduct of hostilities

"Although the public thinks of "war crimes" as a generic term covering all international prosecutions, offences concerning the conduct of hostilities have been largely overshadowed by cases dealing with the oppression of civilians, mainly under the rubric of crimes against humanity. With this excellent and accessible volume, we now have a substantial examination of the criminal law applicable to what was hitherto a somewhat neglected area. Recent judicial decisions indicate that the relevance of the subject seems destined to increase."--William Schabas, Middlesex University, UK. 'This comprehensive collection addresses an overlooked area: war crimes and the conduct of hostilities. It uplifts aspects that are particularly under-appreciated, including cultural property, fact-finding, arms transfer, chemical weapons, sexual violence, and attacks on peacekeepers.

Through rigorous analysis, elegant prose, original insights, and vivacious interconnections, this book enlivens the actual enforcement and application of international war crimes law. This book will serve as an indispensable tool for the many stakeholders invested in evenhanded, informed, and wise pursuit of post-conflict justice through a diverse array of mechanisms.' - Mark A. Drumbl, Washington and Lee University, US. Most charges for war crimes are brought for violations of the rules on the treatment of protected persons in armed conflict situations. However in certain cases, they are brought for serious breach of international humanitarian law rules governing the conduct of hostilities. This book seeks to address this somewhat neglected area of international criminal law.

War Crimes and the Conduct of Hostilities identifies the challenges faced by prosecutors, investigators and courts and tribunals in the definition, investigation and adjudication of war crimes, based on violations of the rules of international humanitarian law on the conduct of hostilities. Detailed and topical sections in the book include: violations of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, violations of the rules protecting particular categories of persons, violations of the rules on means of warfare and the special case of terrorism in armed conflicts. This indispensable study will strongly benefit academics, students, lawyers, judges and practitioners in international criminal law, international humanitarian law and human rights law. Government and public administration officials, along with NGO members, will also find much to interest them in this timely book.