Source: https://casebook.icrc.org/print/20818
Timestamp: 2019-06-19 23:26:55
Document Index: 250653822

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 23', 'Art. 3', 'Arts 50', 'Arts 11', 'Arts 4', 'Arts 82']

Home > United States, United States v. William L. Calley, Jr.
Does the determination of whether the IHL of international or non-international armed conflicts applies have a great impact on this case? Are not the actions of Lieutenant Calley prohibited under both bodies of law? Does it matter whether the victims were innocent villagers, had previously supported the Vietcong, or were (lawful or unlawful) Vietcong fighters before they fell into the hands of Calley and his soldiers? (HR, Art. 23(c)-(d); GC I [1]-IV [2], Art. 3 and Arts 50/51/130/147 respectively; P I [3], Arts 11 [4], 40 [5], 41 [6], 51 [7], 75 [8], 77 [9] and 85 [10]; P II [11], Arts 4 [12], 6(2) [13] and 13 [14])
If a private, such as Private First Class James J. Dursi, grasps the unlawfulness of an order and chooses to disobey, should not a lieutenant certainly do likewise? Is a lieutenant an unsophisticated soldier? Does ignorance of the laws of war provide an excuse? Even for a lieutenant? If soldiers are ignorant of the laws of war, is not the State then also responsible for not having properly instructed its combatants? (P I [3], Arts 82 [15], 83 [16] and 87(2) [17]; CIHL [18], Rules 139 [19], 141 [20]-142 [21], 153 [22])
Source URL: https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/united-states-united-states-v-william-l-calley-jr
[1] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=4825657B0C7E6BF0C12563CD002D6B0B&amp;action=openDocument
[3] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=D9E6B6264D7723C3C12563CD002D6CE4&amp;action=openDocument
[4] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=28D300B20C31500CC12563CD0051D79F
[5] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=94FC99BAB5270DB7C12563CD0051DB52
[6] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=A792529AA66D8C56C12563CD0051DB5E
[8] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=086F4BB140C53655C12563CD0051E027
[9] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=8F7D6B2DEE119FBAC12563CD0051E0A2
[10] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=73D05A98B6CEB566C12563CD0051E1A0
[11] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=AA0C5BCBAB5C4A85C12563CD002D6D09&amp;action=openDocument
[14] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=A366465E238B1934C12563CD0051E8A0
[15] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&amp;documentId=91AB4C6D0BA3D2B6C12563CD0051E160
[18] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/home
[19] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule139
[20] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule141
[21] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule142
[22] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule153