World Updates

International humanitarian law (IHL) is often described as a triumph of principle over pragmatism; a set of rules meant to restrain war even when all else is breaking down. After all, the Geneva Conventions (1949) promise protection “in all circumstances” not just when an adversary behaves well in return. In practice, though, the logic of […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series featuring topics discussed during the Third Annual Future of Warfare and the Law Symposium. Christina Colclough’s introductory post is available here. The Future of Warfare and the Law Symposium (hereinafter, the “Symposium”), which took place in May 2025, brought together lawyers and technical experts to discuss […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series to honor Françoise Hampson, who passed away on April 18, 2025. These posts recognize Professor Hampson’s work and the significant contribution her scholarship made to our understanding of international law. In 2022, Françoise Hampson (one of the most impressive international humanitarian law (IHL)/international human rights law […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series related to Francesco Romani’s book “Belligerent Reprisals from Enforcement to Reciprocity” published by Cambridge University Press.   Few institutions in international humanitarian law (IHL) arouse as much unease as belligerent reprisals. This unease stems from the tension between a legal order that claims adherence to humanity […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series to honor Françoise Hampson, who passed away on April 18, 2025. These posts recognize Professor Hampson’s work and the significant contribution her scholarship made to our understanding of international law. It is a professional honor and personal pleasure to offer this essay in honor of my […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series related to Francesco Romani’s book “Belligerent Reprisals from Enforcement to Reciprocity” published by Cambridge University Press. Francesco’s impressive work on belligerent reprisals and this series are welcome reminders that, in truly exceptional circumstances, the law of armed conflict (LOAC) allows the commission of acts that would […]

Editors’ note: This post is part of a series featuring analysis of the 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on obligations of Israel in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The introductory post to the series by Sean Watts is available here. In its 2025 Advisory Opinion on Obligations of Israel in […]

Twenty-three States have appended some declarations when ratifying or acceding to the 1949 Geneva Conventions (GCs). Not all these declarations embody reservations. According to the law of treaties, the term “reservation” designates “a unilateral statement, however phrased or named, made by a State when ratifying, acceding or succeeding to a treaty, whereby it purports to […]

The posts by Stuart Casey-Maslen and Veronika Bílková (in addition to previous ones written on the topic by Michael Schmitt and Lindsay Moir) have shed light on several aspects associated with belligerent reprisals, stressing the many difficult questions that continue to interrogate scholars, militaries and decision-makers alike. In this concluding post, I will reflect on […]

Marine Corps pilot wants honest stories about military suicide – The War Horse Scroll to top