Laws of War to Be Debated at Wellington Event

The political and human consequences of war and civil unrest are widely covered in themedia but International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the body of law which exists to protect all parties to armed conflict, rarely gets attention.

That will change this weekend when law students from each of New Zealand’s six law schools travel to Wellington to compete in the third annual International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition.

The competition is hosted by New Zealand Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Students will debate important humanitarian and international legal issues in a formal court setting. Former New Zealand Prime Minister and Law Commissioner, Sir Geoffrey Palmer will judge the New Zealand final along with Switzerland’s Ambassador to New Zealand, David Vogelsanger andColonel Justin Emerson, Director of Defence Legal Services.All three judges have extensive experience in IHL.

This year’s moot problem asks law students to make their case on a variety of issues including the protection of cultural property during war, the use of private military and security contractors and the classification of conflicts as, for example, unrest, internal or international armed conflict.

New Zealand Red Cross international humanitarian law and policy manager, Marnie Lloydd says IHL aims to limit suffering during armed conflict.

“A key principle of humanitarian law, also known as the law of armed conflict, is that the same rules apply to all parties. All parties, whether state armed forces or an armed group, must respect and protect people who do not participate in the fighting, namely civilians, and those who are no longer fighting, such as wounded or captured soldiers or fighters,” she says.

“For international humanitarian law to be effective in times of conflict, it must be understood in peace time. This moot not only promotes better awareness of such issues among tertiary students but also give students the opportunity to engage with legal professionals who are working in this field both domestically and internationally,” she says.

With the support of New Zealand Red Cross and the ICRC, the winning team will travel to Hong Kong in March next year to represent New Zealand at the Asia-Pacific Regional IHL Competition.

The New Zealand final will be held at 4pm on Saturday 29November at the Old High Court buildings in Stout Street. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend.

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