Legal Accountability and Britain's Wars 2000-2015

This book discusses the manner in which Britain’s wars, which occurred between 2000 and 2015, impacted upon international law and English law.

It will discuss how judges and lawyers have approached and decided the significant legal issues which were involved. It will also consider the extent to which individuals have been held accountable to the law.

During a debate in the House of Lords in 2005 a former Chief of the Defence Staff commented that ‘the Armed Forces are under legal siege.’ The book will discuss the major legal issues which have arisen, ranging from the various votes in Parliament to go to war, the right under international law to use force, the role of human rights law, the role of the courts in England (including the coroners’ courts), to the legal regime applying to the conduct of the specific military operations. It will assess critically whether the armed forces will now have to accept that operations conducted outside the UK are subject to greater legal scrutiny than previously.

This book will be of great interest to scholars of international law, the law of armed conflict, military studies and international relations, as well as military professionals.