Ius Ad Bellum and Ius In Bello: Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflict
Dr Iacovos Kareklas
This chapter on International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law deals firstly with the rules governing the conduct of hostilities, once an armed conflict has erupted. The term in latin for this body of law is “ius in bello” and is distinguished from the rules of the International Law relating to the use of armed force, which is the other category of the Law of War. The rationale behind the existence of this body of law lies in the fact that, if it is not possible to achieve deterrence of war (and international history shows that it is not really possible), at least the armed conflict must be subject to certain humanitarian rules and limitations, in order to protect, for example, prisoners, wounded soldiers and civilian population, and to prohibit the use of certain weapons systems.
