There has been considerable debate in the international community as to the legality of the forceful actions in Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan in 2002 and Iraq in 2003 under the United Nations Charter. There has been consensus, however, that the use of force in all these situations had to be both proportional and necessary. Against the background of these recent armed conflicts, this 2004 book offers the first comprehensive assessment of the twin requirements of proportionality and necessity as legal restraints on the forceful actions of States. It also provides a much-needed examination of the...

This collection is an integrated body of essays that provides a comprehensive range of viewpoints on how international legal and political mechanisms can address the catastrophic consequences of deadly conflict in today's world. The authors are drawn from a diverse range of disciplines encompassing law, peace studies, international relations and criminal justice and include judges, members of the military, academics, United Nations personnel and representatives of non-government organisations.