Legitimacy and Drones

Steven J. Barela is Assistant Professor at the University of Geneva in the Global Studies Institute and is a member of the Law Faculty. He is trilingual and holds two M.A. degrees and an LL.M., along with a Ph.D. in law. In order to gain these competencies, he studied in the U.S., Spain, France, México, and Switzerland.

• Introduction Legitimacy as a Target; I: Through the Lens of Legality—Formal Validity; 1: Jus ad Bellum: Crossing Borders to Wage War against Individuals; 2: Who Can Be Killed?: Legal Targets in Non-International Armed Conflicts; 3: Boundaries of the Battlefield: The Geographical Scope of the Laws of War; 4: Lethal Force and Drones: The Human Rights Question; II: Through the Lens of Morality—Axiological Validity; 5: Old Ideas in New Skins: The Sixteenth Century Debate on Artillery; 6: The Question of “Imminence”: A Historical View on Anticipatory Attacks; 7: Correcting the Record: Civilians, Proportionality, and the Jus ad Vim; 8: From Just War to Clean War: The Impact of Modern Technology on Military Ethics; III: Through the Lens of Efficacy—Empirical Validity; 9: Data on Leadership Targeting and Potential Impacts for Communal Support; 10: Tactical Efficacy: “Notorious” UCAVs and Lawfare; 11: Strategic Efficacy: The Opinion of Security and a Dearth of Data; 12: Systemic Efficacy: “Potentially Shattering Consequences for International Law”; IV: Creating a Drone Court—Integration via a Policy Proposal; 13: Establishment of a Drone Court: A Necessary Restraint on Executive Power; 14: Can UCAVs be Reconciled with Liberal Governance?: The Substantive Law of a Drone Court; Conclusion: Defending Legitimacy

’Targeted killing by remote-control with unmanned drones may be the future face of war. Drones reduce the cost of using force, and tempt states to resort to force more readily. Legitimacy and Drones brings together a multinational group of scholars to ask all the right questions - when are drones lawful, ethical, and effective, and what limits must be imposed on their use. An invaluable collection on one of the most pressing issues of our time.’ -- David Cole, Georgetown University Law Center, USA ’This timely, rich and occasionally provocative volume will help set the parameters of debate and legal reflection on the vital questions posed by the use of drones, not least the fundamental relationship between legality, morality and legitimacy.’ -- Philippe Sands QC, University College London, UK'Notwithstanding the high value of this discussion on aspects touching upon legality, the strength and novelty of this book lies in its unique ability to incorporate with ease an entire section of philosophical character, while maintaining a substantially legal core.'-- Alessandra Spadaro, Journal of Int’l Criminal Justice (2016) 14 (5): 1297-1299