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International Humanitarian Law and Combat Casualties

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European Journal of Population / Revue européenne de Démographie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to provide an overview of the law regulating combat in order to assist in determining whether casualties inflicted in combat should be classified as victims of war or victims of war crimes. The boundaries and the content of International Humanitarian Law are indicated. A brief statement of the law regulating combat is given. The concepts of military objective and of proportionality are analyzed. The scope of an unlawful attack is addressed as is the relationship between unlawful attack offences and other offences in International Humanitarian Law. The article concludes with a discussion of when combat casualties are war crimes victims.

Résumé

Cet article offre un panorama de la législation concernant les faits de guerre et permettant de différencier les victimes de guerre des victimes de crimes de guerre, Il décrit les limites et le contenu de la législation internationale humanitaire, énonce brièvement les règles juridiques régissant les combats et analyse les concepts d’objectif militaire et de proportionnalité. Le champ des interventions militaires illégales est considéré couvrir aussi bien les infractions liées à une attaque illégale que les autres infractions définies par la législation internationale humanitaire. L’article se conclut par une discussion sur les critères permettant de considérer les morts ou blessés de guerre comme victimes de crimes de guerre.

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Abbreviations

ABiH:

Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina

AP1:

Additional Protocol I␣to the Geneva Conventions of 1949

AP2:

Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions of 1949

ICC:

International Criminal Court

ICRC:

International Committee of the Red Cross

ICTY:

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former␣Yugoslavia

IHL:

International Humanitarian Law

OTP:

Office of the Prosecutor

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), 5253 Harvey Street, B3J 1A7, Halifax, NS, Canada

    William J. Fenrick

Authors
  1. William J. Fenrick
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Correspondence to William J. Fenrick.

Additional information

William J. Fenrick, 2005, International Humanitarian Law and Combat Casualties, European Journal of Population, 21: 167–186.

William J. Fenrick, 2005, Droit international humanitaire et pertes de guerre, Revue Européennne de Démographie, 21: 167–186.

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Fenrick, W.J. International Humanitarian Law and Combat Casualties. Eur J Population 21, 167–186 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-005-6421-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-005-6421-y

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