The Weapons Provisions in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and in the German Code of Crimes Against International Law

Is the use of weapons of mass destruction criminal? The proliferation of nuclear weapons - as well as the potential employment of biological and chemical weapons or riot control agents in armed conflicts - necessitate a legal regime criminalizing the use of such weapons. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court contains rules for criminalizing the employment of certain means of warfare: poison, poisonous gas, and dum-dum bullets. Germany has implemented these rules by means of the Code of Crimes against International Law. In this dissertation, author David Krivánek offers an in-depth look at the weapons provisions in both texts. He finds some of the provisions sufficient to cover the use of certain weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, he identifies the need for improvement and suggests amending the Rome Statute. The book will serve as a useful tool for both practitioners and students of International Criminal Law and International Humanitarian Law, as there is no consolidated jurisprudence regarding this subject. Dissertation.