At the crossroads of scholarship and practice
The Lieber Institute at West Point facilitates and contributes to the global dialogue on today’s most pressing and complex law of war issues. Through its research, publications, events and education, it strives to advance the understanding and maintain the primacy of law in today’s armed conflicts.
The Lieber Institute seeks to bridge the divide between legal scholarship and battlefield experience in the study of the law. It engages in innovative research and collaboration on multiple topics of legal study including targeting, detention, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and war crimes accountability.
Researching Cutting-edge Issues.
Promoting Understanding.
Empowering Combat Leaders.
Surrender as a Weapon: Operational Paralysis and the Law of War
In the opening days of the Operation Desert Storm ground campaign, Iraqi Soldiers surrendered by the tens of thousands. They surrendered to armor, to infantry, and in one famous instance, to a remotely piloted drone hovering overhead. On one hand, the Iraqi prisoners...
Compliance by Design IV: LOAC in the European Defense Industry
Editors’ note: This is the ninth post in a series dedicated to Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and the questions of human oversight and legal accountability under international humanitarian law. Previous posts have focused on LAWS, China, Russia, the United...
International Law, the Civil Law Tradition, and Sources of Law – Part I
Editors’ note: This is the first in a two-part post illustrating the impact of the civil law tradition on the formation of international law, specifically the sources of international law. This entry will focus on treaties and custom as sources of law, including in...
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Volume 13
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Volume 11
