Emily Crawford, The Treatment of Combatants and Insurgents under the Law of Armed Conflict

Abstract

There is a need to address the changing nature of armed conflict and the different forms of protection that law, and in particular international law, can provide to the potential and actual victims of sustained armed violence. The law of armed conflict (LOAC) is based on a clear distinction between international and non-international armed conflict, with a distinct set of rules that are to apply in each case. The contemporary form of armed violence, characterized by sustained and nefarious combat and confrontation between States and non-State armed groups, has become the rule in present-day scenarios. The general recognition of the risks and devastating effects for the civilian population of these conflicts and the need for clearer regulations has been recognized within the discourse of the international legal community. These considerations, already addressed to a degree by legal doctrine, are the starting point of the book under consideration. More specifically, The...