The right of the parties to an armed conflict to choose methods or means of warfare is not unlimited (Hague Regulations, Article 22; Additional Protocol I, Article 35(1)). Relevant limitations derive both from general international humanitarian law and weapon-specific rules of arms control law.
All States are required to ensure that their use of weapons in armed conflict is consistent with their international law obligations. For States party to Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 36 creates an express obligation to conduct a legal review of weapons prior to their use:
In the study, development, acquisition or adoption of a new weapon, means or method of warfare, a High Contracting Party is under an obligation to determine whether its employment would, in some or all circumstances, be prohibited by this Protocol or by any other rule of international law applicable to the High Contracting Party.
For other States, the duty to comply in good faith with their obligations under international law implies a duty to ensure the lawfulness of the weapons that they use in armed conflict. States not party to Additional Protocol I may therefore also conduct legal reviews either as a general international law implementation measure or as a matter of policy. The basis on which a State conduct a legal review of weapons has implications for the the scope and content of the legal review process.
In any event, legal reviews are an important safeguard in preventing the unlawful deployment of new weapons, means or methods of warfare in armed conflict. The rapid development of technology underscores the need to implement robust legal review processes.
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