The Principle of Proportionality in International Humanitarian Law

This well-crafted book explores in holistic fashion the role of proportionality in international humanitarian law (IHL). Bringing together provisions from the Geneva Conventions, their Additional Protocols, and other areas of international law, Anaïs Maroonian goes beyond the narrow interpretation - that of prohibiting attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm- and illustrates how proportionality functions as more than a general principle guiding the interpretation and application of many rules within IHL.

Through systematic analysis and examination of the structure and nature of legal obligations in armed conflict, the book demonstrates how and when proportionality operates in different forms and across multiple areas of international humanitarian law. Using analytical tables mapping proportionality across the treaty provisions of IHL, Maroonian develops a conceptual distinction between proportionality as a rule and as a principle. In doing so, she provides a clear methodological framework for understanding proportionality and highlights its importance for ensuring that humanitarian protections remain meaningful in contemporary armed conflicts.

The Principle of Proportionality in International Humanitarian Law is an essential resource for scholars and students of IHL and public international law. Legal practitioners and policy advisors working on armed conflict, humanitarian aid, and military law will also benefit from the systematic analysis of treaty provisions and contributions to broader debates on the general principles of legal interpretation and international law.