Human Rights and the Laws of War

This class will cover various issues, debates, and concepts in the international law of armed conflict (known as international humanitarian law), particularly as it relates to the protection of non-combatants. In doing so, we will examine how international humanitarian law and human rights law intersect. Although, the condition of armed conflict provides a much wider set of options for governments and military organizations to engage in violent, deadly action against others, the means of waging war are not unlimited, but rather are tightly regulated by both treaty and customary law. This course will examine how these regulations operate in theory and practice.