The 1977 Additional Protocol I (AP I) to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 also contains an important obligation regarding conduction of legal reviews during the study, development, acquisition or adoption of new weapons. Meanwhile, the article 36 does not contain any provisions on how exactly legal reviews should be conducted and does not impose an obligation on States to make their results public, nor to provide anyone with information on the subject. Legal reviews are well regulated by the States at national level which makes the additional elaboration of a universal mandatory mechanism to conduct such “legal reviews”, especially one specifically designed for LAWS, unnecessary. Meanwhile, we do not object to a voluntary exchange of best practices regarding the fulfilment of obligations under article 36 of AP I, taking into account the considerations of national security and trade secrets.
