The Weapons Provisions in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and in the German Code of Crimes Against International Law

Dr. David Krivanek

doi:10.5771/9783845227559

Summary

Is the use of weapons of mass destruction criminal? Proliferation of nuclear weapons as well as the potential employment of biological and chemical weapons or riot control agents in armed conflicts necessitate a legal regime criminalizing the use of such weapons. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court contains rules for criminalizing the employment of certain means of warfare – poison, poisonous gas and dum-dum bullets. Germany has implemented these rules by means of the Code of Crimes against International Law.In his book, David Krivanek offers an in-depth look at the weapons provisions in both texts. He finds some of the provisions sufficient to cover the use of certain weapons of mass destruction. At the same time he identifies the need for improvement and suggests amending the Rome Statute.The book will serve as a useful tool for both practitioners and students of International Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law, as there is no consolidated jurisprudence regarding this subject.David Krivanek has worked at the International Criminal Court and the Rwanda Tribunal. In 2009 he joined the Federal Foreign Office.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2010
Copyright Year: 2010
ISBN-Print: 978-3-8329-5618-9
ISBN-Online: 978-3-8452-2755-9
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Language: English
Pages: 232
Product Type: Monograph

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 2 - 18
List of Abbreviations No access Pages 19 - 20
1. 1. Overview of the Rome Statute's weapons provisions No access Pages 21 - 23
  2. Article 8 (2) (b) (xx) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 23 - 23
  3. Comparison with the weapons provisions of the Code of Crimes against International Law No access Pages 23 - 24
2. History of restricting the use of certain means of warfare No access Pages 24 - 25
3. Overview of new provisions in the Rome Statute No access Pages 25 - 27
4. Drafting history of the weapons provisions in the Rome Statute No access Pages 27 - 31
5. 1. Introduction No access Pages 31 - 33
  2. Content of the Code of Crimes against International Law No access Pages 33 - 34
  3. Interpretation of the Code of Crimes against International Law No access Pages 34 - 35
  4. Recourse by the ICC to the Code of Crimes against International Law No access Pages 35 - 37
1. General Comment No access Pages 38 - 39
2. 1. Employment No access
  2. Substance No access Pages 40 - 40
  3. Weapon that releases a substance as a result of its employment No access Pages 40 - 40
3. 1. Toxic properties No access Pages 40 - 42
  2. 1. Death or serious damage to health No access
    2. In the ordinary course of events No access
  3. Relationship to Article 8 (2) (b) (xviii) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 44 - 46
  4. 1. 1. Mode of employment of riot control agents No access
      2. Case study No access
      3. Conclusion regarding the applicability to riot control agents No access
    2. 1. Mode of employment of nuclear weapons No access
      2. Literal interpretation No access
        Contextual interpretation No access
        Teleological interpretation No access
        Historical interpretation No access
        Preliminary conclusion No access
      3. Character of the declarations No access
        Content of the declarations No access
        Conclusion regarding the declarations No access
      4. Conclusion regarding the applicability to nuclear weapons No access
    3. Applicability to depleted uranium munitions No access
4. Mental Element No access Pages 67 - 70
5. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Article 8 (2) (b) (xvii) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 70 - 70
6. 1. Introduction No access Pages 70 - 70
  2. 1. International basis of the definition No access
    2. Definition of poison in German law No access
    3. Relationship to Sec. 12 (1) No. 2 of the CCAIL No access
  3. 1. Applicability to riot control agents No access
    2. 1. Contextual interpretation No access
      2. Teleological interpretation No access
      3. Literal interpretation No access
      4. Historical interpretation No access
      5. Conclusion regarding the applicability to nuclear weapons No access
    3. 1. Toxicological effects of depleted uranium No access
      2. Radiological effects of depleted uranium No access
      3. Conclusion regarding the applicability to depleted uranium munitions No access
    4. Preliminary conclusion No access
  4. Mental element No access Pages 81 - 83
  5. Aggravating circumstances No access Pages 83 - 85
  6. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Sec. 12 (1) No. 1 of the CCAIL No access Pages 85 - 85
7. Comparing Article 8 (2) (b) (xvii) of the Rome Statute and Sec. 12 (1) No. 1 of the CCAIL No access Pages 85 - 86
1. General Comment No access Pages 87 - 89
2. 1. Employment No access Pages 89 - 89
  2. Gas or other analogous substance or device No access
3. 1. Asphyxiating or toxic properties No access Pages 90 - 91
  2. Effects of the gas, substance or device No access Pages 91 - 92
  3. Scope of application No access Pages 92 - 93
  4. 1. 1. Inclusion in the Geneva Protocol No access
      2. Inclusion in Article 8 (2) (b) (xviii) of the Rome Statute No access
      3. Conclusion regarding the applicability to riot control agents No access
    2. 1. Chemical weapons as gas, other analogous substance or device No access
      2. Literal interpretation No access
        Contextual interpretation No access
        Teleological interpretation No access
        Historical interpretation No access
      3. Conclusion regarding the applicability to chemical weapons No access
    3. 1. Biological weapons as gas or other analogous substance or device No access
      2. Literal interpretation No access
        Contextual interpretation No access
        Teleological interpretation No access
        Historical interpretation No access
      3. Conclusion regarding the applicability to biological weapons No access
    4. 1. Nuclear weapons as gas or other analogous substance or device No access
      2. Literal interpretation No access
        Contextual interpretation No access
        Teleological interpretation No access
        Historical interpretation No access
      3. Declarations made upon ratifying the Rome Statute No access
      4. Conclusion regarding the applicability to nuclear weapons No access
4. Mental Element No access Pages 117 - 118
5. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Article 8 (2) (b) (xviii) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 118 - 118
6. 1. Introduction No access Pages 118 - 118
  2. 1. 1. Applicability to biological weapons No access
      2. Applicability to chemical weapons No access
    2. Preliminary conclusion regarding the scope of application No access
  3. 1. Applicability to riot control agents No access
    2. Applicability to nuclear weapons No access
  4. Mental element No access Pages 125 - 126
  5. Aggravating circumstances No access Pages 126 - 126
  6. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Sec. 12 (1) No. 2 of the CCAIL No access Pages 126 - 126
7. Comparing Article 8 (2) (b) (xviii) of the Rome Statute and Sec. 12 (1) No. 2 of the CCAIL No access Pages 126 - 126
1. General Comment No access Pages 127 - 128
2. Element of Crime 1: The perpetrator employed certain bullets. No access Pages 128 - 128
3. 1. 1. Original scope of application: Dum-dum bullets No access
    2. 1. Applicability to shotgun ammunition No access
      2. Applicability to high-velocity weapons No access
      3. Applicability to similar bullets as defined by their effects No access
  2. In violation of the international law of armed conflict No access Pages 135 - 136
  3. Possible applicability to other weapons No access Pages 136 - 138
4. Mental Element: The perpetrator was aware that the nature of the bullets was such that their employment would uselessly aggravate suffering or the wounding effect. No access Pages 138 - 140
5. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Article 8 (2) (b) (xix) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 140 - 141
6. 1. Introduction No access Pages 141 - 142
  2. Scope of application No access Pages 142 - 142
  3. 1. Applicability to shotgun ammunition No access
    2. Applicability to high-velocity weapons No access
    3. Applicability to other weapons No access
  4. Mental element No access Pages 145 - 145
  5. Aggravating circumstances No access Pages 145 - 146
  6. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Sec. 12 (1) No. 3 of the CCAIL No access Pages 146 - 146
7. Comparing Article 8 (2) (b) (xix) of the Rome Statute and Sec. 12 (1) No. 3 of the CCAIL No access Pages 146 - 146
1. General Comment No access Pages 147 - 148
2. 1. Employing weapons, projectiles and material and methods of warfare No access Pages 148 - 149
  2. 1. 1. The meaning of 'superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering' No access
      2. The SIrUS Project of the ICRC No access
      3. Balancing military necessity and humanitarian considerations No access
    2. Inherently indiscriminate No access
    3. 1. Nuclear weapons No access
      2. Chemical weapons No access
      3. Biological weapons No access
      4. Riot control agents No access
      5. Preliminary conclusion No access
  3. In violation of the international law of armed conflict No access Pages 165 - 165
  4. 1. Nuclear weapons No access
    2. Chemical weapons No access
    3. Biological weapons No access
    4. Riot control agents No access
    5. Preliminary conclusion No access
  5. Included in an annex to the Statute No access Pages 172 - 173
  6. Mental element No access Pages 173 - 173
3. Conclusion regarding the scope of application of Article 8 (2) (b) (xx) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 173 - 174
4. Implementation of Article 8 (2) (b) (xx) of the Rome Statute into the German Code of Crimes against International Law No access Pages 174 - 174
5. Conclusion No access Pages 174 - 175
1. Introduction No access Pages 176 - 176
2. 1. 1. International armed conflict No access
    2. Nexus between the acts and the armed conflict No access
  2. Contextual element 2 No access Pages 179 - 179
3. Contextual elements of Article 8 (2) (b) (xx) of the Rome Statute No access Pages 179 - 179
4. 1. Armed conflict No access
  2. Nexus between the acts and the armed conflict No access Pages 181 - 181
  3. Mental element No access Pages 181 - 181
5. Comparing the contextual elements of the Rome Statute and of the CCAIL No access Pages 181 - 185
6. Conclusion regarding the contextual elements No access Pages 185 - 186
1. Findings No access Pages 187 - 188
2. 1. A decision by the International Criminal Court No access Pages 188 - 190
  2. Future Review Conferences No access Pages 190 - 193
1. Introduction No access Pages 194 - 195
2. Decision taken at the Review Conference No access Pages 195 - 196
3. Elements of Crimes of the new provisions No access Pages 196 - 198
4. Conclusion No access Pages 198 - 200
Bibliography No access Pages 201 - 232