Présentation - Hague Rules 1923

i n t r o d u c t i o n

Rules concerning the Control of Wireless Telegraphy in Time of War and Air Warfare. Drafted by a Commission of Jurists at the Hague, December 1922 - February 1923.

Forum of adoption

Commission of Jurists nominated by the Washington Conference of 1922 on the Limitation of Armaments

The Washington Conference of 1922 on the Limitation of Armaments adopted a resolution for the appointment of a Commission of Jurists charged with the preparation of rules relating to aerial warfare and rules concerning the use of radio in time of war. The Commission was to consider whether the existing principles of international law still sufficed to apply to the methods of attack and defence introduced and developed since the second International Peace Conference of 1907. The Commission, presided over by John Bassett Moore, was composed of representatives of the United States, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands. It was to report its conclusions to each of the governments of the six countries. The Commission met from December 1922 to February 1923 at The Hague. It prepared rules for the control of radio in time of war (part I of the report of the Commission) and rules of air warfare (part II). Although these rules were never adopted in legally binding form they are of importance "as an authoritative attempt to clarify and formulate rules of law governing the use of aircraft in war" (Oppenheim/Lauterpacht, International Law, 7th ed., Vol. 2, p. 519). To a great extent, they correspond to the customary rules and general principles underlying treaties on the law of war on land and at sea.

Meetings of forum

December 1922 - February 1923, The Hague

Dade of adoption

19.02.1923

Number of articles

Authentic text

English

Source

Recueil Général des droits et coutumes de la guerre terrestre, maritime, sous-marine et aérienne d'après les Actes élaborés par les Conférences internationales depuis 1856. Documents recueillis et annotés par M. Marcel Deltenre, les Editions Fred. Wellens-Pay, Bruxelles, 1943, pp.819-849.

Keywords

AIR WARFARE; CONDUCT OF THE HOSTILITIES; METHOD OF COMBAT; RIGHTS; OBLIGATIONS; AIRCRAFT; CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT; MILITARY AIRCRAFT; PROTECTED ZONE; CAPTURE; MEANS OF COMBAT; BOMBARDMENT; NEUTRALITY; NEUTRAL STATE; PROTECTION; CIVILIAN; PROTECTED OBJECT; INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICT; INDISCRIMINATE WEAPON; CUSTOMARY INTERNATIONAL LAW; SIGN; MARKING; PRISONER OF WAR; MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION; RED CROSS; ANGARY; PROTECTION AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF HOSTILITIES; CREW