Wikipedia
The law of war is a legal term of art that refers to the aspect of public international law concerning acceptable justifications to engage in war ( jus ad bellum) and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct (jus in bello or International humanitarian law).
Among other issues, modern laws of war address declarations of war, acceptance of surrender and the treatment of prisoners of war; military necessity, along with distinction and proportionality; and the prohibition of certain weapons that may cause unnecessary suffering.
The law of war is considered distinct from other bodies of law—such as the domestic law of a particular belligerent to a conflict—that may provide additional legal limits to the conduct or justification of war.
Usage examples of "law of war".
It is part of the traditional law of war that, in case of a siege, a city may have its food cut off and civilians attempting to escape may be fired upon, even killed, to drive them back to eat up the food.
Siuan said that now only a few librarians knew much more than that there was a Law of War.
If necessary, she could try applying the Law of War, but even if that was successful, ruling by edict had its disadvantages.
The first law of war was still Murphy's, and units as fragile as LACs had better learn to show it even more respect than anyone else.
The first law of war was still Murphys, and units as fragile as LACs had better learn to show it even more respect than anyone else.
The origin of the Latin word for slave is supposed to be found in the circumstance that those who by the law of war were liable to be killed were sometimes preserved by their victors, and were hence called servants.