International Humanitarian Law

The law that regulates armed conflicts is one of the oldest branches of international law, and yet continues to be one of the most dynamic and relevant areas of law today. Now in its third edition, this textbook provides an accessible, scholarly, and up-to-date examination of international humanitarian law, offering students and teachers a comprehensive and logical discussion and analysis of the law. The textbook contains detailed examples, extracts from relevant cases, and useful discussion questions and a recommended reading list for each chapter, to help students and teachers alike engage with the subject matter, and grasp how the theory and the practice interact. Developing and emerging trends in theory and practice of international humanitarian law are also explored and examined, allowing for readers to build on their knowledge, and grapple with some of the biggest challenges facing the law of armed conflict in the twenty-first century.

About the Authors

Emily Crawford is a Professor at the University of Sydney Law School, where she teaches and researches in international law, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. She has published widely in the field of international humanitarian law, including three monographs: The Treatment of Combatants and Insurgents under the Law of Armed Conflict (2010), Identifying the Enemy: Civilian Participation in Hostilities (2015), and Non-Binding Norms in International Humanitarian Law (2021). She is co-editor of the textbook Public International Law (with Alison Pert and Ben Saul, Cambridge, 2023). She is also a co-editor of the Journal of International Humanitarian Studies. In 2023 Emily was awarded the prestigious Max Planck-Cambridge Prize for International Law in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the study of international law.

Alison Pert is Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, where she lectures in international law, specialising in the use of force and international humanitarian law. She has practised as a lawyer in government and the private sector in London, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and has represented Australia at international organisations including Unidroit and UNCITRAL, and in treaty negotiations. She has also authored a monograph, Australia as a Good International Citizen (2014), and co-edited the textbook Public International Law (with Emily Crawford and Ben Saul, Cambridge, 2023).