Books by Philippe, QC Sands

The new book by the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize and author of the Sunday Times bestseller EAST WEST STREET - a historical detective story that sets out to uncover the truth behind what happened to leading Nazi Otto von Wachter

The author has a unique insider's view of the global justice process. In this book, he gives an account of the origins, development and crucial importance of international law, covering human rights, war, torture and the environment. It analyses various threats to the global just...ice system, including the war on Libya.
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The high civilian death toll in protracted conflicts such as those in Syria or Iraq appears to demonstrate how little the international legal order has to offer to civilians at risk. A recent conference of states convened by the International Committee of the Red Cross referred t...o 'an institutional vacuum in the area of international humanitarian law implementation'. Yet both international humanitarian law and the law of human rights establish a series of rights that, at least in theory, are intended to protect civilians. But which law or laws apply in a given situation and what are the obstacles to their implementation? How can the law assist civilians injured by new methods of warfare, such as drone strikes, or targeted by new forms of military organisation, such as transnational armed groups? Can the implementation gap be filled by the growing but sometimes controversial use of human rights courts to remedy violations of the laws of armed conflict, or by proposals for new instruments or mechanisms of civilian legal protection? This volume brings together contributions from leading academic authorities and legal practitioners to shed light on the situation of civilians in the grey zone between human rights and the laws of war. In Part 1 each chapter will consider a key contested or boundary issue in defining the rights of civilians or non-combatants in today's conflicts. Part 2 goes on to assess current and developing legal mechanisms for addressing violations. As military intervention to protect civilians remains highly controversial, this volume looks at the alternative potential for developing a practice of civilian rights protection.
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This book assesses developments in international law and seeks to end impunity by bringing to justice those accused of crimes against humanity.

This volume explores the role that international law plays in minimizing damage to the environment. It incorporates analyses of current developments and concludes with a description of the changes needed - institutional, procedural and substantive - to make international law trul...y effective.
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