Professor Nehal Bhuta commissioned to revise UK’s Law of War Manual
Thu 14 November 2024
Professor Nehal Bhuta, Chair of Public International Law, has been commissioned by the UK’s Ministry of Defence to re-write sections of Joint Service Publication 383: The Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict. The Manual is a reference work for members of the UK armed forces and officials within the Ministry of Defence and other departments of the government. It is an integral part of the UK’s legal obligation to ensure respect for the law of armed conflict in all of its conduct, and the Manual serves as a “clear articulation of the UK’s approach to the Law of Armed Conflict” in order to “form the basis for the training of UK military personnel in this body of law, … [and to] widely inform practical decision making” (JSP 383, Foreword).
First published in 2004, the Manual has been updated and amended several times, but is now undergoing a comprehensive revision and rewrite in order to ensure that it reflects the current state of international law governing armed conflict. Professor Bhuta has been invited to re-write Chapter 9 of the current Manual, which concerns “Protection of Persons in the Hands of a Party to the Conflict.” The chapter is principally concerned with the obligation to protect civilians. The draft prepared by Professor Bhuta will be reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team of military practitioners, subject matter experts and government legal and policy advisers. The Senior Academic Advisor for the revision is Professor Sir Christopher Greenwood GBE CMG KC, and the final text will be approved at the Ministerial level by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Attorney-General’s Office.
Professor Bhuta said: “Military manuals are the principal means through which states parties to a conflict translate their legal obligations in to practical advice and compliance. I am delighted to be contributing to the revision and rewriting of this highly impactful Joint Service Publication, in relation to the protection of civilians.”