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Thema der Arbeit ist der völkerrechtliche Schutz der internally displaced persons (IDPs), deren Leiden aufgrund von'ethnic cleansing'nicht zuletzt durch die jüngsten militärischen Auseinandersetzungen um das Kosovo erneut in den Mittelpunkt des Interesses gerückt sind. Der Autor untersucht in erster Linie den normativen und institutionellen Schutz der IDPs. Dabei liegt der Schwerpunkt der Analyse auf dem Schutz im Rahmen von inneren Unruhen und nicht-internationalen bewaffneten Konflikten, den häufigsten root causes von Flucht und Vertreibung. Entsprechend richtet sich der normative Schutz der IDPs nach menschenrechtlichen Normen sowie dem auf nicht-internationale Konflikte anwendbaren humanitären Völkerrecht. Die unmittelbare Anwendung des Flüchtlingsvölkerrechts scheitert dagegen am fehlenden Grenzübertritt der IDPs. Die Arbeit nimmt Bezug auf die am häufigsten bedrohten Rechtsgüter und weist auf bestehende Schutzlücken des völkerrechtlichen Instrumentariums hin. Im zweiten Schwerpunkt wird das Spannungsfeld zwischen der - völkerrechtlich eingeschränkten - Souveränität und dem institutionellen Schutz durch IGOs und NGOs untersucht. Nils Geißler diskutiert dabei auch die aktuelle Frage der staatlichen Verpflichtung zur Zulassung humanitärer Hilfe sowie die Mandate der für den Schutz der IDPs wichtigsten Organisationen des UNHCR sowie des IKRK. Abschließend weist der Verfasser auf einige Lösungsansätze zur Verbesserung des Schutzes der IDPs hin. Normativ kommt aus seiner Sicht neben soft law zum Schutz der IDPs vor allem auch dem Statut des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs große Bedeutung zu. Institutionell sei neben der verbesserten Koordination der humanitären Einsätze auf internationaler und regionaler Ebene insbesondere das Konzept der Schutzzonen besser nutzbar zu machen.

Warzones are sometimes described as lawless, but this is rarely the case. Armed insurgents often replace the state as the provider of law and justice in areas under their authority. Based on extensive fieldwork, Rebel Courts offers a compelling and unique insight into the judicial governance of armed groups, a phenomenon never studied comprehensively until now. Using a series of detailed case studies of non-state armed groups in a diverse range of conflict situations, including the FARC (Colombia), Islamic State (Syria and Iraq), Taliban (Afghanistan), Tamil Tigers (Sri Lanka), PKK (Turkey), PYD (Syria), and KRG (Iraq), Rebel Courts argues that it is possible for non-state armed groups to legally establish and operate a system of courts to administer justice. Rules of public international law that regulate the conduct of war can be interpreted as authorising the establishment of rebel courts by armed groups. When operating in a manner consistent with due process, rebel courts demand a certain degree of recognition by international states, institutions, and even other non-state armed groups. With legal analysis enriched by insights from other disciplines, Rebel Courts is a must read for all scholars and professionals interested in law, justice, and the effectiveness of global legal standards in situations of armed conflict.

This book examines the problem of constitutional change in times of crisis. Divided into five main parts, it both explores and interrogates how public law manages change in periods of extraordinary pressure on the constitution. In Part I, “Emergency, Exception and Normalcy,” the contributors discuss the practices and methods that could be used to help legitimize the use of emergency powers without compromising the constitutional principles that were created during a period of normalcy. In Part II, “Terrorism and Warfare,” the contributors assess how constitutions are interpreted during times of war, focusing on the tension between individual rights and safety. Part III, “Public Health, Financial and Economic Crises,” considers how constitutions change in response to crises that are neither political in the conventional sense nor violent, which also complicates how we evaluate constitutional resilience in times of stress. Part IV, “Constitutionalism for Divided Societies,” then investigates the pressure on constitutions designed to govern diverse, multi-national populations, and how constitutional structures can facilitate stability and balance in these states. Part V, titled “Constitution-Making and Constitutional Change,” highlights how constitutions are transformed or created anew during periods of tension. The book concludes with a rich contextual discussion of the pressing challenges facing constitutions in moments of extreme pressure. Chapter “Public Health Emergencies and Constitutionalism Before COVID-19: Between the National and the International” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The face of modern warfare is changing as more and more humanitarian organizations, private military companies, and non-state armed groups enter complex security environments such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti. Although this shift has been overshadowed by legal issues connected to the War on Terror and intervention in countries such as Rwanda and Sudan, it has caused some to question the relevance of the laws of war. Modern Warfare explores the law's failure � and potential � to ensure compliance in the context of a changing military landscape; by doing so, it opens a path to preventing further unnecessary suffering and violence.

Who is accountable under international law for the acts committed by armed opposition groups? In today's world the majority of political conflicts involve non-state actors attempting to exert political influence (such as overthrowing a government or bringing about secession). Notwithstanding their impact on the course of events, however, we often know little about these groups, and even less about how to treat their actions legally. In this award-winning scholarship, Liesbeth Zegveld examines the need to legally identify the parties involved when internal conflicts arise, and the reality of their demands for rights. Her study draws upon international humanitarian law, human rights law and international criminal law to consider a fundamental question: who is accountable for the acts committed by non-state actors, or for the failure to prevent or repress these acts? This study will be of interest to academics, postgraduate students and professionals involved with armed conflict and international relations.