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Longlisted for the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing 2026. Every day, we are exposedto evidence of hundreds of war crimes: residential buildings bombed and burningin Ukraine, merciless shootings in Gaza despite a so-called ceasefire,civilians beaten and starved by armies in Sudan and a mounting number of aid workersand journalists murdered by soldiers. The evidence proves guilt beyondreasonable doubt, but we know there will be few, if any, prosecutions. In this powerful book,distinguished human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson exposes the 'fraud' thatis international humanitarian law. Drawing on his experience as a UN war crimesjudge, he considers some of the most pressing legal issues of our time, includingtorture, nuclear weapons, drone warfare and the fallacy of 'anticipatoryself-defence'. In the face of such threats, and with an impotent SecurityCouncil neutered by the world's most powerful aggressors, modern democraciesare increasingly vulnerable to conflict and invasion. Most importantly in anage of amoral warlords like Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and DonaldTrump, the book warns that we are losing sight of Nuremberg's legacy: thatthere can be no peace without justice. This authoritative and deeply humanework is both a rallying defence of moral law and a resounding condemnation ofthose who defy it.
Longlisted for the Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing 2026. Every day, we are exposedto evidence of hundreds of war crimes: residential buildings bombed and burningin Ukraine, merciless shootings in Gaza despite a so-called ceasefire,civilians beaten and starved by armies in Sudan and a mounting number of aid workersand journalists murdered by soldiers. The evidence proves guilt beyondreasonable doubt, but we know there will be few, if any, prosecutions. In this powerful book,distinguished human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson exposes the 'fraud' thatis international humanitarian law. Drawing on his experience as a UN war crimesjudge, he considers some of the most pressing legal issues of our time, includingtorture, nuclear weapons, drone warfare and the fallacy of 'anticipatoryself-defence'. In the face of such threats, and with an impotent SecurityCouncil neutered by the world's most powerful aggressors, modern democraciesare increasingly vulnerable to conflict and invasion. Most importantly in anage of amoral warlords like Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and DonaldTrump, the book warns that we are losing sight of Nuremberg's legacy: thatthere can be no peace without justice. This authoritative and deeply humanework is both a rallying defence of moral law and a resounding condemnation ofthose who defy it.