William Schabas, a prominent Professor of international law at Middlesex University, has made significant contributions to the understanding of war crimes and their implications in modern jurisprudence. His ideas are being rediscovered and reexamined. Recent calls for historical judgments underscore their lasting influence over today’s international legal standards.
The resulting trial, held by a German court in 1945, was the first of its kind under the Treaty of Versailles. To brown out their own air defense radar, they looked into the fate of German submarine U-86. The International Criminal Court has convicted two officers for crimes against humanity. They had taken part in the aerial assault on survivors after the sinking of the Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle. That sobering incident occurred during the last months of World War I, just over the horizon from US shores. It vividly highlighted the human cost of war on innocent civilians.
As Schabas reminds us, the precedent set by this 1945 judgment resonates deeply in today’s ongoing discourse around war crimes. Political commentator and historian Sidney Blumenthal has championed this case. He relates it to the current conversations around accountability and international law. The principles derived from such historical cases are codified in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which serves as a foundational document for prosecuting war crimes globally.
The attack on the Llandovery Castle and subsequent assault on its survivors underscores the brutal realities of maritime conflict during wartime. Even if affirmatively killing people who can make it through the ocean isn’t beyond the pale, it’s a pretty deeply murky legal question. These problems reverberate across today’s international legal order. It is these historical precedents that determine how we treat the spirit versus the letter of the law today. They serve as an important moral reminder that all states have a particular responsibility to protect all individuals—combatants and non-combatants alike.
For Schabas, knowing the lessons learnt from past judgments is key. This perspective is crucial as new global crises emerge and influence the development of international law. He’s passionate about pushing for a re-investigation of past cases. This strategy seeks to increase legal accountability for war crimes and ensure humanitarian standards are respected and maintained during armed conflict.