• E4J University Module Series: Counter-Terrorism

• Module 8: Right to Life

• Introduction and learning outcomes

• Key issues

• • International human rights instruments
  • Regional human rights instruments
  • International humanitarian law
  • Extra-territorial application of the right to life
  • Arbitrary deprivation of life
  • The death penalty
  • Enforced disappearances
  • Armed conflict context

• Exercises and case studies

• Possible class structure

• Core reading

• Advanced reading

• Student assessment

• Additional teaching tools

• References

 

Published in July 2018.

 

 

  This module is a resource for lecturers  

 

References

 

Books

• Dinstein, Yoram (2010). The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict, 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

Book chapters

• Lieblich, Eliav (2014). "Beyond Life and Limb: Exploring Incidental Mental Health under International Humanitarian Law." In Derek Jinks, Jackson N. Maogoto and Solon Solomon eds. Applying International Humanitarian Law in Judicial and Quasi-Judicial Bodies. The Hague: Asser Press.
• Goldman, Robert K. (2013). "Extraterritorial Application of the Human Rights to Life and Personal Liberty, including Habeas Corpus, during situations of armed conflict." In Robert Kolb and Gloria Gaggioli, eds. Research Handbook on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Milanovic, Marko (2010). "Norm Conflicts, International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law." In Orna Ben-Naftali, ed. Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Collected Courses of the Academy of European Law, Vol. XIX/1.Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Miyazaki, Shigeki (1984). "The Martens Law and International Humanitarian Law." In Christophe Swinarski ed. Studies and Essays on International Humanitarian Law and Red Cross Principles in Honour of Jean Pictet. The Netherlands: Springer.

 

Cases / judicial opinions

• African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACommHPR)
  • Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme et des Libertés v Chad , October 1995, ACommHPR Communication No. 74/92.
  • Organisation Mondiale Contre La Torture, Association Internationale des Juristes Démocrates, Commission Internationale des Juristes (C.I.J), and Union Interafricaine des Droits de l'Homme v Rwanda , Decision of October 1996, Communications Nos. 27/89, 46/91, 49/91 and 99/93.
  • Amnesty International, Comité Loosli Bachelard, Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights, Association of Members of the Episcopal Conference of East Africa v. Sudan , Decision of November 1999, Communications Nos.48/90, 50/91, 52/91 and 89/93.
  • Oedraogo v Burkina Faso , Decision of May 2001, Communication No. 204/97.
  • Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa Others v. Democratic Republic of Congo , Judgment of 17 June 2017 , Communication 393/10.

• African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
  • Beneficiaries of Late Norbert Zongo, Abdoulaye Nikiema Alias Ablasse, Ernest Zongo and Blaise Ilboudo & the Burkinabe Human and Peoples' Rights Movement v. Burkina Faso (Application No. 013/2011) , 10 March 2014.

• European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
  • Cyprus v . Turkey (Application Nos. 6780/74 & 6950/75), Judgment of 26 May 1975.
  • McCann and Others v. United Kingdom (App. No. 18984/91), 27 September 1995, Series A, No. 324.
  • Hugh Jordan v. UK (Application no. 24746/94), Judgment (Third Section) 4 August 2001.
  • Banković and Others v. Belgium and Others (App no. 52207/99), Judgment (Grand Chamber) 12 December 2001, 2001-XII.
  • Öcalan v. Turkey (Application No. 46221/99), Judgement of 12 March 2003.
  • Issa and Others v. Turkey (Application No. 31821/96), Judgement of 16 November 2004.
  • Ağdaş v. Turkey (A pplication No. 34592/97), Judgment of 27 July 2004.
  • Öcalan v. Turkey , Judgment (application no. 46221/99), Judgment (Grand Chamber) 12 May 2005, ECHR 2005-IV.
  • Wasilewska and Kalucka v. Poland (Application nos. 28975 and 33406/04), Judgment (Fourth Section) 23 February 2010.
  • Al Skeini and Others v. United Kingdom (Application No. 55721/07), Judgement of 7 July 2011.

• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACommHR)
  • Coard et al v. United States (Case 10.951), Judgment of 29 September 1999, Report No. 109/99.

• Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR)
  • Roach v. United States (Case 9617), 1987, Report No. 3/87.
  • Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras, Judgment of 29 July 1988, Series C, No. 4.
  • Las Palmeras v. Colombia (Case 11.237), Judgement of 20 February 1998, Report No 10/98.
  • Constantine and Benjamin et al. v. Trinidad and Tobago (Merits, Reparations and Costs), Judgment of 21 June 2002, Series C, No. 94.
  • Myrna Mack-Chang v. Guatemala , Judgment of 25 November 2003, Series C, No. 101.
  • Case of the Yakye Axa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay (Merits, reparations and costs), 17 June 2005, Series C, no. 125.
  • Raxcaco Reyes v. Guatemala (Merits, Reparations, and Costs, Judgment), Judgment of 15 September 2005, Series C, No. 133.
  • Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay, Sawhoyamaxa Indigenous Community of the Enxet-Lengua people v. Paraguay (Merits, reparations and costs), 29 March 2006, Series C, No. 146.
  • González et al. ("Cotton Field") v. Mexico (Preliminary Objection, Merits, Reparations, and Costs), Judgment of 16 November 2009, Series C, No. 205.
  • Barrios Family v. Venezuela (Merits, Reparations, and Costs), Judgment of 24 November 2011, Series C, No. 237.
  • Artavia Murillo et al. (In-vitro Fertilisation) v. Costa Rica (Preliminary Objections, Merits, Reparations, and Costs), Judgment of 28 November 2012, No. 257.
  • Osorio v Rivera and Family Members v. Peru (Preliminary objections, merits, reparations and costs), Judgment of 26 November 2013, Series C, No. 274.

• International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons , Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 1996.
  • Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America) , Merits, Judgment of 27 June 1986, I.C.J Reports.
  • Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (The Wall Opinion) , Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004.
  • Armed Activities on the Territories of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo v. Uganda) , Judgment of 19 December 2005, I.C.J. Reports 2005, p. 168 .

• United States Supreme Court
  • Thompson v. Oklahoma (No.86-6169), Decided June 29 1988, 487 U.S. 815.

 

Charters

• African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Banjul Charter) . 21 October 1986.
• Arab Charter on Human Rights . 22 May 2004, entered into force 15 March 2008.

 

Conventions and protocols

• American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man . Bogotá, 1948.
• Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide . Paris, 9 December 1948, Treaty Series, vol. 78, p. 277.
• The Geneva Conventions . Treaty Series, vol. 75, p. 31, p. 85, p. 135 and p. 287, 12 August 1949.
• European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms . Adopted on 4 November 1950, entered into force 3 September 1953.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights . New York, 16 December 1966, Treaty Series, vol. 999, p. 171.
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights . New York, 16 December 1966, Treaty Series, vol. 993, p. 167.
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I) . Treaty Series, vol. 1125, no. 17512,8 June 1977.
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II) . Treaty Series, vol. 1125, no. 17513, 8 June 1977.
• American Convention on Human Rights . Adopted 22 November 1969, entered into force 18 July 1978)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child . New York, 20 November 1989, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, p. 3.
• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families . New York, 18 December 1990, Treaty Series, vol. 2220, p. 3.
• Arab Charter on Human Rights . Adopted 15 September 1994.
• Inter-American Convention on the Forced Disappearance of Persons . Adopted 9 June 1994, entered into force 28 March 1996.
• Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty 1999 . OAS, Treaty Series, no. 73.
• Protocol 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in All Circumstances . 3 May 2002. European Treaty Series, no. 187.
• International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance . New York, 20 December 2006, Treaty Series, vo. 2716, p. 3.

 

Domestic legislation

• Uganda
  • Anti-Terrorism Act 2002 (as amended by the Anti-Terrorism Act 2017).
• United Arab Emirates
  • Federal Law No. (7) of 2014. On Combating Terrorism Offences . 20 August.

 

Journal / online articles

• Acheson, Ray, Richard Moyes, and Thomas Nash (2014). Sex and Drone Strikes: Gender and Identity in Targeting and Casualty Analysis . New York: Reaching Critical, London: Article 36.
• Beasley, David (2017). " U.N. Food Program Is The First Line Against Terrorism, Beasley Says." National Public Radio, July 24.
• Bellinger, John B. III (2007). " Legal Issues in the War on Terrorism - A Reply to Silja N. U. Vöneky." German Law Journal, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 871-878.
• Harkov, Lahav (2018). " Terrorist Death Penalty Bill passes early Knesset Vote." Jerusalem Post, 3 January.
• Koh, Harold Hongju (2010). " The Obama Administration and International Law." American Society of International Law, vol. 104, pp. 207-221.
• Lubel, Noam (2005). " Challenges in Applying Human Rights Law to Armed Conflict." International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 87, no. 860.
• Sadek, George (2014). " United Arab Emirates: Anti-Terrorism Law Approved." Library of Congress, 27 August.
• Wallace, Stuart and Conall Mallory (2016). " Applying the European Convention on Human Rights to the Conflict in Ukraine." University of Cambridge Legal Studies Research Paper Series, Paper No. 48/2016.
• World Food Programme. " Gender equality". (Last accessed 17 May 2018).

 

Reports and commentaries

• Council of Europe Treaty Series - Explanatory Reports (2002). Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances. Commentary on the provisions of the Protocol. 3 May.
• Organization of African Unity (OAU), African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACommHPR) (2015). General Comment No. 3 on the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights: The Right to Life (Article 4). Adopted during the 57th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights held from 4 to 18 November 2015 in Banjul, The Gambia .
• Penal Reform International (2013). Counter-terrorism in Kazakhstan: Why the death penalty is no solution . London: Penal Reform International.
• World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (2016). Death Penalty for Terrorism: Detailed Fact Sheet . July.
• World Food Programme (2015). Projects for Executive Board Approval: Protracted Relief and Recover Operations - Democratic Republic of the Congo 200832 . 9-13 November, WFP/EB.2/2015/8-B/1.

 

United Nations materials

• United Nations, Commission on Human Rights (1995). Declaration of Minimum Humanitarian Standards, Report of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on its Forty-Sixth Session, Commission on Human Rights, 51st Session, Provisional Agenda Item 19 . E/CN.4/1995/116.
• United Nations, Economic and Social Council (1983). Report by the Special Rapporteur, Mr. S. Amos Vako: Summary of Arbitrary Executions . 31 January. E/CN.4/1983/16.
• United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights (2005). Civil and Political Rights, Including the Question of: Disappearances and Summary Executions - Report of the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances . 27 December. E/CN.4/2006/56.
• United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2009). General Comment No. 20: Non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights (art. 2, para. 2, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) . 2 July. E/C.12/GC/20

• United Nations, General Assembly
  • (1992). Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance . 18 December. A/RES/47/133.
  • (2006). In-depth study on all forms of violence against women: Report of the Secretary-General . 6 July. A/61/122/Add.1.
  • (2015). Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. 7 August, A/70/304.
  • (2016). Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living . 8 August. A/71/310.
  • (2017(a)). Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2016 [on the report of the Third Committee A/71/484/Add.2] 71.198. Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. 25 January. A/RES/71/198.
  • (2017(b)). Protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism: Report of the Secretary-General . 11 August. A/72/316.
  • (2017(c)). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights wand fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism . 27 September. A/72/495.

• United Nations, General Assembly, Human Rights Council
  • (2010). Report of the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions: Study on Targeted Killings, Philip Alston . 28 May. A/HRC/14/24/Add.6.
  • (2012). Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo . 23 May. A/HRC/20/16.
  • (2013). General comment on women affected by enforced disappearances adopted by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances at its ninety-eighth session (31 October - 9 November 2012) . 14 February. A/HRC/WGEID/98/2.
  • (2015). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism, Ben Emmerson . 16 June. A/HRC/29/51.
  • (2016). Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances . 28 July. A/HRC/33/51.
  • (2017). Report of the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions on a Gender-Sensitive Approach to Arbitrary Killings . 6 June. A/HRC/35/23.

• United Nations, Human Rights Committee
  • (1979). Views: Suarez de Guerrero v. Colombia . 31 March. Communication No. R.11/45.
  • (1981). Views: Delia Saldias de Lopez v. Uruguay . Communication No. 52/1979. 29 July. CCPR/C/13/D/52/1979.
  • (1982(a)). Views: Camargo (on behalf of Suarez de Guerrero) v Columbia, Communication No 45/1979. 31 March. CCPR/C/15/D/45/1979.
  • (1982(b)). General Comment No. 6: Article 6 (Right to Life) .  30 April. HRI/GEN/1/Rev.1.
  • (2001). Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant: Second Periodic Report- Israel . 4 December. CCPR/C/ISR/2001/2.
  • (2004). General Comment No. 31: The Nature of the General Legal Obligation Imposed on States Parties to the Covenant . 26 May. CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.13.
  • (2017). General Comment No. 36 on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the Right to Life. Revised Draft Prepared by the Rapporteur . Advance Unedited Version.

• United Nations, Security Council, Counter-Terrorism Committee. Role of Women in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism .
• United Nations, Security Council, Resolution 1373 (2001).

 

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