The Use of Force against Individuals in War under International Law

Dr Ka Lok Yip's academic research straddles international law, social theory, and empirical studies in armed conflict and post-conflict settings. Dr Yip earned an interdisciplinary PhD in international law and international relations from the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. She also received a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Laws degree from King's College London. Besides academia, Dr Yip is an experienced international lawyer who has been actively involved in peace and justice initiatives in the Middle East.

• General IntroductionChapter 1: The Legality of the Use of Force against Individuals in War Description of a DifficultyI. IntroductionII. Legal Norms Relevant to the Use of Force against Individuals in WarIII. Jurisprudence on the Relationship among Different Legal Norms Relevant to the Use of Force against Individuals in WarIV. Key Approaches to the Relationship among Different Legal Norms Relevant to the Use of Force against Individuals in WarV. ConclusionChapter 2: Six Concepts of Legality and their DisambiguationI. IntroductionII. Vertical LegalityIII. Horizontal LegalityIV. De-conflation of Different Concepts of LegalityV. ConclusionChapter 3: Verticalizing and Horizontalizing the Notion of Legality under International Human Rights LawI. IntroductionII. The Layered Nature of Legality under IHRL for the Right to Life and the Right to LibertyIII. The Dimension of Vertical Legality under IHRLIV. The Dimension of Horizontal Legality under IHRLV. ConclusionChapter 4: Subjectivising and Objectivising the Legal Techniques for Establishing the Relationship among International Legal NormsI. IntroductionII. Justifications for and Limits to the Use of Legal TechniquesIII. Applying Lex Specialis to Establish the Relationship among Different Laws on the Use of Force against Individuals in WarIV. Applying Systemic Integration to Establish the Relationship among Different Laws on the Use of Force against Individuals in WarV. ConclusionChapter 5: Ontologising the Laws on the Use of Force against Individuals in WarI. IntroductionII. Social OntologyIII. The Ontological Presuppositions of LOAC and IHRLIV. Three Patterns of Ontological ConflationV. ConclusionChapter 6: Agents and Structures in the Field of Via DolorosaI. IntroductionII. Effects of Social Structures on the Practices of the Use of Force against Individuals in WarIII. Effects of Human Agency on the Practices of the Use of Force in Armed Conflict and OccupationIV. Convergence of Laws, Conflation of OntologiesV. ConclusionGeneral ConclusionTheoretical ImplicationsMethodological implicationsPractical Implications

Ka Lok Yip's monograph is an important contribution to the scholarly literature on international law, human rights, global studies, and social theory. I hope this book inspires more scholars to analyze other conceptions of justice and moral responsibility in the context of war.