International Conflict and Security Law : Essays in Memory of Hilaire McCoubrey

With invasion and the ill-treatment of detainees being seen daily on the news, the publication of a collection of essays in the area of conflict land security law could not be more relevant. The contributors provide expert analysis of many aspects of the law governing armed conflict and collective security. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Biography 11 The Reverend Professor Hilaire McCoubrey 1953–2000 11 McCoubrey Centre for International Law 12 Contributors 13 Foreword: There are men too gentle to live among wolves 18 Abbreviations 21 1: Hilaire McCoubrey and international conflict and security law 23 Introduction 23 Law and war: the theory of constraint 26 The logic of formal limitations upon armed force 27 Philosophies and wars 28 The viability of constraints upon the conduct of hostilities 31 Transgressions of the laws of armed conflict 36 Laws of armed conflict and human rights 39 Theory and reality 40 Conclusion 40 2: The development of operational law within Army Legal Services 43 Introduction 43 The Cold War period 44 Falklands War 45 1970–1980 46 1990–1991 Gulf War 47 The Balkans 49 The present position 51 An operational law branch 52 Conclusion 53 3: Reflections on the relationship between the duty to educate in humanitarian law and the absence of a defence of mistake of law in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 54 Introduction 54 The duty to educate 55 Mistake of law in the Rome Statute 59 Objections to and evasions of the existing position in respect of mistake of law under the Rome Statute 62 Mistakes of law under the Rome Statute in theoretical perspective 65 Conclusion 68 4: Superior orders and the International Criminal Court 71 Introduction 71 The history of the defence 72 What is the purpose of the superior orders defence? 74 Superior orders and other defences 77 Article 33: a flawed formulation? 81 Conclusion 89 5: Command responsibility: victors' justice or just desserts? 90 The trials and tribulations of command 90 The First World War: civil or criminal responsibility 92 Yamashita: did he know? 93 Post 1945 developments 96 Celebici 98 International Criminal Court 101 Bringing the threads together 104 6: The proposed new neutral protective emblem: a long-term solution to a long-standing problem 106 Introduction 106 The emblem issue 108 Selected background 109 Identifying sign for protection 109 Close connection between the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 110 Why a red cross on a white background? 111 Not a religious symbol, but... 113 Involvement of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 115 Main current problems and the proposed solution 116 Draft Third Additional Protocol 119 Current situation 125 Way forward 126 Annex: Third Protocol Emblem 129 Article 1 Distinctive emblem 129 Article 2 Indicative use of the third Protocol emblem 129 7: Towards the unification of international humanitarian law? 130 Introduction 130 Traditional dichotomy in international humanitarian law 131 Eroding the dichotomy 135 The protection of victims 137 The conduct of hostilities 138 Statute of the International Criminal Court 141 The problem with unification 147 Future prospects 149 8: Of vanishing points and paradoxes:terrorism and international humanitarian law 151 Introduction 151 Terrorism: at the vanishing point of international law 153 Regulating extra-legal violence: a paradox? 160 Terrorism and international humanitarian law 162 International armed conflict 162 Non-international armed conflict 168 Limits of humanitarian law 173 Humanitarian law and its relationship to other anti-terrorist rules 176 Concluding thoughts 179 9: What is a legitimate military target? 182 Military objectives 182 1990–1991 Gulf War 183 1999 Kosovo Air Campaign 184 Targets attacked 185 Dual-use facilities 186 Targeting results 187 Incidental effects 188 Voluntary human shields 191 Questionable targets 191 Television station 192 Hostages 194 Mobile targets 195 Chinese embassy 196 Strike sortie: casualty ratio 197 Problem areas 197 Armed civilians 197 Special police 198 Assassination 191 Military utility 191 Anticipatory attacks 192 Electrical installations 201 Bridges 202 Industry 202 Economic targets 203 Conclusions 204 Military objectives 204 Objects protected from attack 205 10: The application of the European Convention on Human Rights during an international armed conflict 207 Introduction 207 Limits of the term 'within their jurisdiction' when armed forces are acting outside national territory 211 Where a state imposes 'effective control' over an area outside its national territory 217 Where a state does not have effective control of an area outside its national territory 218 Where the Convention state's armed forces remain on its own territory 219 Where the ECHR state is taking part in a UN peace support operation 219 Role of national law 220 Application of the ECHR during an international armed conflict 221 Killing during an international armed conflict 222 Prohibition against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 223 Rights when detained 224 Right to a fair trial 226 Conclusion 229 Postscript 230 11: Regional organizations and the promotion and protection of democracy as a contribution to international peace and security 231 Regionalism and international law 232 Regional arrangements and the United Nations 235 Organization of American States 242 The OSCE and the High Commissioner on National Minorities 248 Conclusion 255 12: Self-defence, Security Council authority and Iraq 257 Introduction 257 Pre-emptive defence 258 Military actions 262 The Security Council and the use of force 264 Self-defence 275 Threat of force 280 Conclusion 284 13: International law and the suppression of maritime violence 287 Introduction 287 Characteristics of contemporary maritime violence 288 Defining maritime crime 292 Piracy 292 Armed robbery against ships 296 Terrorism 297 Jurisdictional barriers: problems and solutions 299 Concluding remarks 305 14: Law, power and force in an unbalanced world 308 Introduction 308 Realism, the English School and international law 309 Power and responsibility 320 International society in a unipolar world 330 Conclusion 335 Bibliography of Hilaire McCoubrey's work 336 Books 336 Edited collections 336 Articles 336 Chapters 338 Other papers 338 Index 339 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 The Reverend Professor Hilaire McCoubrey 1953–2000......Page 11 McCoubrey Centre for International Law......Page 12 Contributors......Page 13 Foreword: There are men too gentle to live among wolves......Page 18 Abbreviations......Page 21 Introduction......Page 23 Law and war: the theory of constraint......Page 26 The logic of formal limitations upon armed force......Page 27 Philosophies and wars......Page 28 The viability of constraints upon the conduct of hostilities......Page 31 Transgressions of the laws of armed conflict......Page 36 Laws of armed conflict and human rights......Page 39 Conclusion......Page 40 Introduction......Page 43 The Cold War period......Page 44 Falklands War......Page 45 1970–1980......Page 46 1990–1991 Gulf War......Page 47 The Balkans......Page 49 The present position......Page 51 An operational law branch......Page 52 Conclusion......Page 53 Introduction......Page 54 The duty to educate......Page 55 Mistake of law in the Rome Statute......Page 59 Objections to and evasions of the existing position in respect of mistake of law under the Rome Statute......Page 62 Mistakes of law under the Rome Statute in theoretical perspective......Page 65 Conclusion......Page 68 Introduction......Page 71 The history of the defence......Page 72 What is the purpose of the superior orders defence?......Page 74 Superior orders and other defences......Page 77 Article 33: a flawed formulation?......Page 81 Conclusion......Page 89 The trials and tribulations of command......Page 90 The First World War: civil or criminal responsibility......Page 92 Yamashita: did he know?......Page 93 Post 1945 developments......Page 96 Celebici......Page 98 International Criminal Court......Page 101 Bringing the threads together......Page 104 Introduction......Page 106 The emblem issue......Page 108 Identifying sign for protection......Page 109 Close connection between the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement......Page 110 Why a red cross on a white background?......Page 111 Not a religious symbol, but.........Page 113 Involvement of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies......Page 115 Main current problems and the proposed solution......Page 116 Draft Third Additional Protocol......Page 119 Current situation......Page 125 Way forward......Page 126 Article 2 Indicative use of the third Protocol emblem......Page 129 Introduction......Page 130 Traditional dichotomy in international humanitarian law......Page 131 Eroding the dichotomy......Page 135 The protection of victims......Page 137 The conduct of hostilities......Page 138 Statute of the International Criminal Court......Page 141 The problem with unification......Page 147 Future prospects......Page 149 Introduction......Page 151 Terrorism: at the vanishing point of international law......Page 153 Regulating extra-legal violence: a paradox?......Page 160 International armed conflict......Page 162 Non-international armed conflict......Page 168 Limits of humanitarian law......Page 173 Humanitarian law and its relationship to other anti-terrorist rules......Page 176 Concluding thoughts......Page 179 Military objectives......Page 182 1990–1991 Gulf War......Page 183 1999 Kosovo Air Campaign......Page 184 Targets attacked......Page 185 Dual-use facilities......Page 186 Targeting results......Page 187 Incidental effects......Page 188 Military utility......Page 191 Anticipatory attacks......Page 192 Hostages......Page 194 Mobile targets......Page 195 Chinese embassy......Page 196 Armed civilians......Page 197 Special police......Page 198 Electrical installations......Page 201 Industry......Page 202 Economic targets......Page 203 Military objectives......Page 204 Objects protected from attack......Page 205 Introduction......Page 207 Limits of the term 'within their jurisdiction' when armed forces are acting outside national territory......Page 211 Where a state imposes 'effective control' over an area outside its national territory......Page 217 Where a state does not have effective control of an area outside its national territory......Page 218 Where the ECHR state is taking part in a UN peace support operation......Page 219 Role of national law......Page 220 Application of the ECHR during an international armed conflict......Page 221 Killing during an international armed conflict......Page 222 Prohibition against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment......Page 223 Rights when detained......Page 224 Right to a fair trial......Page 226 Conclusion......Page 229 Postscript......Page 230 11: Regional organizations and the promotion and protection of democracy as a contribution to international peace and security......Page 231 Regionalism and international law......Page 232 Regional arrangements and the United Nations......Page 235 Organization of American States......Page 242 The OSCE and the High Commissioner on National Minorities......Page 248 Conclusion......Page 255 Introduction......Page 257 Pre-emptive defence......Page 258 Military actions......Page 262 The Security Council and the use of force......Page 264 Self-defence......Page 275 Threat of force......Page 280 Conclusion......Page 284 Introduction......Page 287 Characteristics of contemporary maritime violence......Page 288 Piracy......Page 292 Armed robbery against ships......Page 296 Terrorism......Page 297 Jurisdictional barriers: problems and solutions......Page 299 Concluding remarks......Page 305 Introduction......Page 308 Realism, the English School and international law......Page 309 Power and responsibility......Page 320 International society in a unipolar world......Page 330 Conclusion......Page 335 Articles......Page 336 Other papers......Page 338 Index......Page 339 Hilaire McCoubrey wrote extensively in the area of armed conflict law, and on the issues of collective security law and the law relating to arms control. Although he died at the early age of 46 in 2000 he had contributed significantly to the separate study of these areas, but also to the idea of studying the issues as a whole subject. The collection covers difficult and controversial issues in the area of conflict and security law. The contributors, drawn both from academe and practice, provide expert analysis of many aspects of the law governing armed conflict and collective security. As well as providing a fitting tribute to the main aspects of Hilaire's contribution to knowledge, the volume provides a coherent reconsideration and development of key aspects of conflict and security law at a time when that law is being applied, breached, debated or reformed on almost a daily basis. "This collection covers difficult and controversial issues in the area of conflict and security law. Within a coherent framework provided by extracts from Hilaire McCoubrey's work, the contributors, drawn from both academe and practice, provide expert analysis of many aspects of the law governing armed conflict and collective security. As well as providing a fitting tribute to the main aspects of Hilaire's contribution to knowledge, the volume provides a coherent reconsideration and development of key aspects of conflict and security law at a time when that law is being applied, breached, debated or reformed on almost a daily basis."--BOOK JACKET