Professor of Legal History at Elon Law and Professor of History at Elon University David Crowe discussed "International Humanitarian Law and the Path to the Hague" at the Harriman Institute and the East Central European Center at Columbia University on Oct. 24.
Crowe, whose publications include the book Crimes of State, Past and Present: Government-Sponsored Atrocities and International Legal Responses (2010), focused his presentation at the Harriman Institute on “the evolution of International Humanitarian Law over the past few centuries historically, looking at the impact of events, individuals, and legal traditions on the development of this important dimension of international law.”
The presentation was drawn from Crowe’s forthcoming book, War Crimes, Genocide, and Justice: A Global History (2013).
The following summarizes Crowe’s presentation at the Harriman institute in more detail:
“The recent conviction of Momcilo Perišic, the arrest of Ratko Mladic, and the ongoing trial of Radovan Karadzic, marks the beginning of the end of the most important series of trials in Europe since the end of World War II. From a purely legal and historical perspective, these trials should be seen as the culmination of the development of a body of international law that has evolved over the past two centuries that has sought first to define, and later, hold nations and individuals legally responsible for the behavior of armies in the field during times of war. While most international scholars are aware of the general outlines of decisions by major international conferences like the various Hague and Geneva Conventions, post-World War II’s International Military Tribunals, the ICC, and other judicial bodies, such accords and institutions are often studied more in a legal context, and not from a purely historical perspective. This paper will discuss the evolution of International Humanitarian Law over the past few centuries historically, looking at the impact of events, individuals, and legal traditions on the development of this important dimension of international law.”
Click here for more information on Elon professor David Crowe.