International Law
531 Articles
The ICC Prosecutor’s New Draft Strategic Plan
Back in October 2013, I wrote here about International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s strategic plan for 2012-2015, which marked a change in direction towards…
The ICC Prosecutor should Reject Judges’ Decision in Mavi Marmara
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established 13 years ago to prosecute, in the words of the Court’s Preamble, “the most serious crimes of concern to the international…
The DOD Law of War Manual’s Potential Contribution to International Law
Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the new Defense Department Law of War Manual. This series includes posts from Sean Watts, Eric Jensen, Adil Ahmad…
DOD is Still Wrong About Target Selection and Civilians
Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the new Defense Department Law of War Manual. This series includes posts from Sean Watts, Eric Jensen, Geoffrey…
“International Cyber Stability” and the UN Group of Governmental Experts
In recent months, the United States has been pushing a new policy of “international cyber stability.” In a speech in Seoul in May, Secretary of State John Kerry explained that…
Precautions to Minimize Civilian Harm are a Fundamental Principle of the Law of War
Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the new Defense Department Law of War Manual. This series includes posts from Sean Watts, Eric Jensen, Adil Ahmad…
DOD’s Unbalanced Stance on Precautions Against Harming Civilians
Editor’s Note: Just Security is holding a “mini forum” on the new Defense Department Law of War Manual. This series includes posts from Sean Watts, Eric Jensen, and others.…
Germany’s Highest-Ranking Prosecutor on the Legality of Drone Strikes – and Much More
In a must-read decision, the Federal Prosecutor General in Germany (the equivalent of the U.S. Attorney General) examines in great depth the legality of a drone strike that killed…
The Defense Department Stands Alone on Target Selection
A deeply troubling provision in the Defense Department’s new Law of War Manual suggests that commanders are not legally required to minimize civilian casualties when selecting…
Human Shields and the DOD Law of War Manual: Can’t We Improve the Debate?
In a recent post, Prof. Adil Ahmad Haque attacked the new Defense Department Law of War Manual’s position on proportionality and human shields. Evidently, Haque thinks that the…
The Defense Department’s Indefensible Position on Killing Human Shields
The Defense Department apparently thinks that it may lawfully kill an unlimited number of civilians forced to serve as involuntary human shields in order to achieve even a trivial…
Questions That Should be Asked About Seal Team 6 and the Laws of War
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…