In A Scrap of Paper, Isabel V. Hull compares wartime decision making in Germany, Great Britain, and France, weighing the impact of legal considerations in each. She demonstrates how differences in state structures and legal traditions shaped the way the three belligerents fought the war. Hull focuses on seven cases: Belgian neutrality, the land war in the west, the occupation of enemy territory, the blockade, unrestricted submarine warfare, the introduction of new weaponry, and reprisals. A Scrap of Paper reconstructs the debates over military decision-making and clarifies the role law played—where it constrained action, where it was manipulated, where it was ignored, and how it developed in combat—in each case. A Scrap of Paper is a passionate defense of the role that the law must play to govern interstate relations in both peace and war.

"This is a revised edition of Law and war : an American story [published in 2000]."--T.p. verso.

Examines the difficulties in applying international law to recent armed conflicts known as 'new wars'.

This book tells the story of how two of America's closest allies, Canada and Britain, have sought to reconcile their security concerns with their legal obligations during two of the most significant international conflicts since the Second World War.

M. Cherif Bassiouni / Human rights and international criminal justice in the twenty first century : the end of the post-WWII phase and the beginning of an uncertain new era -- Thomas A. Cromwell and Bruno Gélinas-Faucher, William Schabas / The Canadian Charter of rights and freedoms, and international human rights law -- Emmanuel Decaux / The International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, as a victim-oriented treaty --Kathleen Cavanaugh and Joshua Castellino / The politics of sectarianism and its reflection in questions of international law & state formation in The Middle East -- Sandra L. Babcock / International law and the death penalty : a toothless tiger, or a meaningful force for change? -- Marc Bossuyt / The UN optional protocol on the abolition of the death penalty --Christof Heyns and Thomas Probert and Tess Borden / The right to life and the progressive abolition of the death penalty -- Zhao Bingzhi / Progress and trend of the reform of the death penalty in China -- Margaret M. DeGuzman / Criminal law philosophy in international criminal law scholarship -- Frédéric Mégret / Is the ICC focusing too much on non-state actors? -- Shane Darcy / The principle of legality at the crossroads of human rights and international criminal law -- Alain Pellet / Revisiting the sources of applicable law before the ICC -- Mireille Delmas-Marty / The ICC as a work in progress, for a world in process -- Carsten Stahn / Legacy in international criminal justice -- Andrew Clapham and Paola Gaeta / Torture by private actors and 'gold plating' the offence in national law : an exchange of emails in honour of William Schabas -- Hirad Abtahi and Philippa Webb / Secrets and surprises in the Travaux préparatoires of the genocide convention -- Jérémie Gilbert / Perspectives on cultural genocide : from criminal law to cultural diversity -- Beth Van Schaack / Crimes against humanity : repairing Title 18's blind spots -- Leila Nadya Sadat / A new global treaty on crimes against humanity : future prospects -- Mark A. Drumbl / Justice outside of criminal courtrooms and jailhouses -- Charles Chernor Jalloh / Toward greater synergy between courts and truth commissions in post-conflict contexts : lessons from Sierra Leone -- Geoffrey Nice and Nevenka Tromp / Criminal trial as a tool to control historical narrative -- Mary Ellen O'Connell / The arc toward justice and peace -- Adama Dieng / The maintenance of international peace and security through prevention of atrocity crimes : the question of co-operation between the UN and regional arrangements -- Emma Sandon / Law and film : curating rights cinema -- Wayne Jordash / The role of advocates in developing international law -- Diane Marie Amann / Bill the blogger

Since the adoption of the UN Charter in 1945, the use of cross-border force has been frequent. This volume invites a range of experts to examine over sixty conflicts, from military interventions to targeted killings and hostage rescue operations, and to ask how powerful precedent can be in determining hostile encounters in international law.