War Crimes and the Conduct of Hostilities Challenges to Adjudication and Investigation

Most charges for war crimes are brought for violations of the rules on the treatment of protected persons in armed conflict situations. However in certain cases, they are brought for serious breach of international humanitarian law rules governing the conduct of hostilities. This book seeks to address this somewhat neglected area of international criminal law.War Crimes and the Conduct of Hostilities identifies the challenges faced by prosecutors, investigators and courts and tribunals in the definition, investigation and adjudication of war crimes, based on violations of the rules of international humanitarian law on the conduct of hostilities. Detailed and topical sections in the book include: violations of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, violations of the rules protecting particular categories of persons, violations of the rules on means of warfare and the special case of terrorism in armed conflicts.This indispensable study will strongly benefit academics, students, lawyers, judges and practitioners in international criminal law, international humanitarian law and human rights law. Government and public administration officials, along with NGO members, will also find much to interest them in this timely book.