[Online HILAC lecture] Military necessity and the law of armed conflict

Watch a recording of this HILAC lecture here.  

On Tuesday 13 October, from 14.00-15.30 CET, The Hague Initiative for Armed Conflict (HILAC) organised an online lecture on 'Military necessity and the law of armed conflict.' What does it mean to say that international humanitarian law (IHL) strikes a realistic and meaningful balance between military necessity and humanity and that the law, therefore 'accounts for' military necessity? Through real-life examples and careful analysis, this lecture challenged received wisdom on the subject. Among other thought-provoking reflections, Professor Hayashi explained why IHL has no reason to restrict or prohibit militarily unnecessary conduct based on its non-necessity alone.

By combining international law, jurisprudence, military history, strategic studies, and moral philosophy, Professor Hayashi invited the audience to explore a broad range of issues through the prism of military necessity. How does rational fighting relate to ethical fighting? How does IHL incorporate contrasting values that shape its rules? How do law and theory adapt themselves to war's evolutions?

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