An Introduction to the International Law of Armed Conflicts

373 Pages·2008·2.81 MB·English

by  Robert Kolb

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL
LAW OF ARMED CONFLICTS
This book provides a modern and basic introduction to a branch of international
law constantly gaining in importance in international life, namely international
humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict). It is constructed in a way suitable for
self-study.Thesubjectmattersarediscussedinself-containedchapters,allowingeach
to be studied independently of the others. Among the subject matters discussedare:
the relationship between jus ad bellum and jus in bello; the historical evolution of
international humanitarian law; the basic principles and sources of international
humanitarian law; Martens clause; international and non-international armed
conflicts; material, spatial, personal and temporal scope of the application of inter-
national humanitarian law; special agreements under international humanitarian
law; the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross; targeting; objects
specifically protected against attack; prohibited weapons; perfidy; reprisals; assis-
tanceof thewoundedandsick;definitionof combatants;protectionof prisonersof
war; protection of civilians; occupied territories; protective emblems; sea warfare;
neutrality;andtheimplementationof internationalhumanitarianlaw.

An Introduction to the
International Law of
Armed Conflicts
Robert Kolb and Richard Hyde
OXFORD—PORTLAND OREGON
2008
Published in North America (US and Canada) by
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© Robert Kolb and Richard Hyde 2008
Robert Kolb and Richard Hyde have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys-
tem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of Hart
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Hart Publishing, 16C Worcester Place, Oxford, OX1 2JW
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
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ISBN: 978-1-84113-799-5
Typeset by Forewords, Oxford
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall
PREFACE
This book began life as a training course written for the Swiss Military by Robert
Kolb. It shouldbe noted that the coursewas initially conceived for use as a training
aid for mid-level officers, of a number of different nationalities, and for this reason
the chapters are simply written and self-contained. Richard Hyde became involved
when this text was evolving into a book, and applied references and polish to the
initialtext.Atthistimesomematerialwasaddedtoreflecttherapiddevelopmentof
thelawundertheimpetusof newtreatiesandthejurisprudenceof internationaland
domestic courts. The book reflects the state of the law as of Easter 2008. The book
can be treated as a whole, providing a wide ranging introduction to the Law of
ArmedConflict, or dippedinto and out of as desired. A wide-ranging bibliography,
prepared with the assistance of Andreas Frutig, is provided for those who wish to
explore particular areas in greater depth. It shouldbe noted that although the book
wasinitiallywrittenwithmilitaryprofessionalsinminditshouldnotbethoughtthat
the readership is thus restricted. The authors have attempted to make this text as
accessible and readable as possible, in the hope that all readers with an interest in
thisimportant,nowmorethanever,areaof lawfindthisbookuseful.Of course,this
book could not have been written without the help of a large number of people, to
whom warm appreciation is extended, in particular Section 155 of the Swiss Army
(Law of Armed Conflicts Section) with its head, as he then was, Col. Peter
Hostettler, Catriona McCollam, Professor Robert Cryer of the University of
Birmingham,ProfessorOlympiaBekouof theUniversityof Nottinghamandallthe
kind people at Hart Publishing,in particular Richard Hart, Mel Hamill and Rachel
Turner.Obviously,allerrorsremaintheresponsibilityof theauthors.
Robert Kolb
Richard Hyde
July 2008

CCOONNTTEENNTTSS
CONTENTS
Preface v
Table of Cases, Decisions, Opinions ix
Table of Treaties and International Instruments xiii
Part I Introduction
1. The Law of Armed Conflict as a Branch of Public International Law 3
2. Jus Ad Bellum: Main Components 9
3. Jus In Bello: Main Components 15
4. The Separation BetweenJus Ad BellumandJus In Belloin Modern
International Law: Equality of the Belligerents and Just War 21
5. Total War and Limited War 29
Part II The Law of Armed Conflicts
6. Historical Evolution of the LOAC 37
7. Basic Principles of the LOAC 43
8. Main Sources of the LOAC 51
9. The Martens Clause 61
10. International and Non-International Armed Conflicts 65
11. Applicability of the LOAC: Material Scope of Applicability 73
12. Applicability of the LOAC: Personal Scope of Applicability 85
13. Applicability of the LOAC: Spatial Scope of Applicability 93
14. Applicability of the LOAC: Temporal Scope of Applicability 99
15. Applicability of the LOAC by Special Agreements 107
16. The Role of the International Committee of the Red Cross 113
17. Targeting: the Principle of Distinction Between Civilian and Military
Objectives 125
18. Other Objectives Specifically Protected Against Attack 141
19. Prohibited Weapons 153
20. Perfidy and Ruses 161
21. Some Other Prohibited Means and Methods of Warfare 167
22. Belligerent Reprisals 173
viii CONTENTS
23. Command Responsibility 179
24. Assistance, Respect and Protection of Wounded and Sick Military
Persons 189
25. The Definition of Combatants 197
26. Protection of Prisoners of War 209
27. General Protection of Civilians 221
28. Occupied Territories (Belligerent Occupation) 229
29. The ‘Intangible’Nature of the LOAC Rights 237
30. Protective Emblems 241
31. Sea Warfare 247
32. Non-International Armed Conflicts in Particular 257
33. The Relationship Between the LOAC and Human Rights Law 269
34. Neutrality 277
35. The Implementation of the LOAC 283
Bibliography 295
Index 337
TTAABBLLEEOOFFCCAASSEESS,,DDEECCIISSIIOONNSS,,OOPPIINNIIOONNSS
TABLE OF CASES, DECISIONS,
OPINIONS
Abella v Argentina (La Tablada), Case 11.137, Report No 55/97 (18 November
1997) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Al-Skeini v Secretary of State for Defence[2007] UKHL 26, [2007] 3 WLR 33 . 274
-Inter-American Court of Human Rights Series C No 70 (25 November 2000). 273
Bankovic v Russia(App no 52207/99) (2007) 44 EHRR SE5 . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Beckford v R[1988] 1 AC 130 (PC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
BeitSourikVillageCouncilvGovernmentof Israel,HCJ/2056/04(30June
2004) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Bosnia and Herzegovina v Serbia and Montenegro(Application of the Convention on
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide) (Merits) (26 February
2007). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Christian Society for the Holy Places v Minister of Defence(1972) 52 ILR 512
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231–2
CoardvUnitedStates,Case10.951,ReportNo109/99(29September1999) . . 272–3
Commission Internationale des Droits de l’Homme et des Libertés v Chad, African
Commission on Human and Peoples’Rights, Comm. No 74/92 (1995). . . 272–3
Corfu Channel CaseseeUnited Kingdom v Albania
Cyprus v Turkey(2002) 35 EHRR 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Dalmia Cement Ltd v National Bank of Pakistan(1984) 67 ILR 611. . . . . . 11, 76
Democratic Republic of Congo v Belgium (Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000) [2002]
ICJ Rep 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Democratic Republic of Congo v Uganda(Armed Activities on the Territory of the
Congo) [2006] ICJ Rep 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233, 275
Detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba(Decision on Request for Precautionary
Measures) [2004] 14 ILM 553 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba(Response of the United States to Request for
Precautionary Measures) [2002] 14 ILM 1015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Eritrea v Ethiopia(Central Front—Eritrea’s Claims 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 22) (28 April 2004)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Eritrea v Ethiopia(Prisoners of War—Eritrea’s Claim 17) (1 July 2003) . . 103, 190,
209–12, 216–17
Eritrea’s Claims15, 16, 23, 27–32 (17 December 2004). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Essen Lynching Case(1945) 1 LRTWC 88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 87
Ethiopia v Eritrea(Civilians’Claim—Ethiopia’s Claim 5) (17 December 2004)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 103
Ethiopia v Eritrea(Prisoners of War—Ethiopia’s Claim 4) (1 July 2003) 59, 104, 115,
190, 209, 211–16, 218
Ethiopia v Eritrea(Western and Eastern Fronts—Ethiopia’s Claims 1 and 3)
(19 December 2005) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 180
Ethiopia v Eritrea(Western Front, Aerial Bombardment and Related