International Humanitarian Law

The return of an instant classic. As a leading expert in the field, Marco Sassli maintains the fine and difficult balance between making IHL accessible to those that are unfamiliar with it, while offering a nuanced analysis which will satisfy its experts. A must read for everyone who is working on or is interested in IHL. -- Vaios Koutroulis, Universit Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium This 2nd edition of Marco Sassolis masterwork, International Humanitarian Law, could not be timelier. Offering deeper coverage of key topics, he has updated his always-insightful analysis by reference to the Russia-Ukraine war. Eminently qualified to examine its influence on our understanding of IHL, Marco has produced yet another indispensable tool for scholars and practitioners alike. -- Michael N. Schmitt, United States Military Academy at West Point Almost immediately, the first edition of Professor Sasslis International Humanitarian Law became an indispensable classic. With this second edition, he not only updates and refines its superb coverage. He cements its place as a sophisticated yet accessible resource for humanitarians, scholars, jurists and armed forces everywhere. -- Sean Watts, United States Military Academy at West Point There is literally no-one more qualified to write a textbook on international humanitarian law than Marco Sassli. In its first edition this book already became a leading resource in the field, and the second edition will be no different. It does not aim to comprehensively cover all of IHL, but focuses on issues and controversies of greatest contemporary relevance, with a remarkable degree of rigour, precision, and clarity. -- Marko Milanovic, University of Reading, UK This second edition benefits from Professor Sassli's unrivaled insights into the legal issues that have already arisen in the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This means one is not only exposed to the controversies, but also treated to his evaluation of the significance of the reactions of states to tricky issues of blockade, neutrality, and arms transfers. We get a sense of where the law is heading from one of its keenest observers. In addition there are new sections on investment law and the rules that should apply in outer space. The extensive multilingual references allow the reader to remain on top of contemporary developments, while guiding one through the intricacies of just about every aspect of international humanitarian law. This is a must have for anyone thinking about or practising international humanitarian law. -- Andrew Clapham, Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland

Marco Sassli, Professor of International Law, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Contents: 1 An introduction to international humanitarian law 1 2 History of international humanitarian law 5 3 A general overview of IHL based upon its major delimitations 16 4 The sources of IHL 35 5 Respect of the law 73 6 Scope of application: when does IHL apply? 186 7 International and noninternational armed conflicts 227 8 The protective regimes 255 9 IHL and other branches of international law 458 10 Selected cross-cutting issues 528 11 Conclusion and the future of international humanitarian law 704