IRRC No. 259

The “General Principles” of humanitarian law according to the International Court of Justice

Reading time 2 min read
Download PDF

In its Judgment of 27 June 1986 in the case concerning “Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua”, the International Court of Justice dealt at length with some of the most vexed questions in humanitarian law. Although the Court had previously touched upon certain problems in this legal field, for example in the Corfu Channel case and that of the Pakistani Prisoners, this was the first time it expressed itself in detail on more general issues, notably on the customary nature of the “general principles” of humanitarian law.

Download PDF

Continue reading #IRRC No. 259

All articles

The “General Principles” of humanitarian law according to the International Court of Justice author: Rosemary Abi-Saab

2 min read

The Canadian Red Cross Society and the Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions author: Brian Smith

1 min read

Visits by Heads of State to the ICRC author:

1 min read

Africa — Latin America — Asia — Europe — Middle-East/North Africa author:

2 min read

Activities of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: Recognizing the needs of the homeless and hungry in unexpected places—the United States author:

2 min read

Information and Public Relations: Twelfth International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films author:

1 min read

Information and Public Relations: Workshop on Information and Public Relations author:

1 min read

Information and Public Relations: Joint Commission of the Empress Shôken Fund No. 78 — Sixty-sixth distribution of income author:

1 min read

Information and Public Relations: Thirteenth Inter-American Conference of the Red Cross author:

1 min read

International Humanitarian Law: IN MOSCOW — Fourth International Seminar on International Humanitarian Law in the Contemporary World author:

1 min read

International Humanitarian Law: IN GENEVA — International colloquium: The 1977 Protocols additional to the 1949 Geneva Conventions—Ten years later author:

1 min read

International Humanitarian Law: AT SAN REMO — Round Table of Experts on International Humanitarian Law Governing Armed Conflicts at Sea author:

1 min read