Killings of Prisoners of War and Refusal of Quarter – Present and Past

Killings of Prisoners of War and Refusal of Quarter – Present and Past

Killings of Prisoners of War and Refusal of Quarter – Present and Past Modern international humanitarian law (IHL) protects prisoners against attack or mistreatment from the moment they surrender or do something akin to surrender. Relevant provisions include Articles...
Medical Neutrality as a Contested Legal Concept in the 1899-1902 South African War

Medical Neutrality as a Contested Legal Concept in the 1899-1902 South African War

Medical Neutrality as a Contested Legal Concept in the 1899-1902 South African War Editors’ note: This post is based on the author’s recently published article “Neutrality as a Contested Concept in International Humanitarian Law: Red Cross Men in the South...
International Law, the Civil Law Tradition, and Sources of Law – Part I

International Law, the Civil Law Tradition, and Sources of Law – Part I

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...
War Crimes in History

War Crimes in History

War Crimes in History Editors’ note: This post is based on the author’s article-length work, “A History of the Law of War Crimes” appearing in International Review of the Red Cross. International law recognizes three categories of core crimes: genocide; crimes against...
The Sack of Cities: Laws of War and Evolving Attitudes in Historical Perspective

The Sack of Cities: Laws of War and Evolving Attitudes in Historical Perspective

The Sack of Cities: Laws of War and Evolving Attitudes in Historical Perspective Throughout most of Western history, stretching back to the Homeric tradition of Troy, the right to sack a besieged city that refused to surrender was part and parcel of the customary laws...
Modern Attack Balloons and the 1907 Hague Balloons Declaration

Modern Attack Balloons and the 1907 Hague Balloons Declaration

Modern Attack Balloons and the 1907 Hague Balloons Declaration In the days leading up to the 1812 Battle of Borodino, Russia devised a plan to float a large shark-shaped hot air balloon over French forces to drop explosives. The balloon could not be made ready in time...