- Jus post bellum
Jus post bellum (
Latin for "Justice after War"; see alsoJust War Theory ) deals with the termination phase of war. The idea was written about byBrian Orend to reflect the need for rules to end wars completely and fairly.Purpose
*Provide assurances to combatants about the terms necessary to end a conflict
*Provide terms for the end of war; once the rights of a political community have been vindicated, further continuation of war becomes an act of aggression
*Provide guidelines for the construction of peace treaties
*Prevent continuous fighting throughout peace negotiations by belligerents to gain more favorable terms.
*Prevent draconian and vengeful peace terms; the rights a just state fights for in a war provide the constraints on what can be demanded from the defeated belligerentJust Settlement of a Just War
The following is a list of items that would be permissible for a just settlement for a just war:
*Unjust gains from aggression must be eliminated
*Punishment against the aggressor in two forms:
**Compensation to the victim for losses incurred
**War crime trials for the aggressor
*Security for the victim against future attack in the form of demilitarization or political rehabilitation
*Terms for settlement should be measured and reasonable ruling out unconditional surrenders
*Terms for settlement should be made public
*Leaders, soldiers, and civilians must be distinguished
**Leaders of the aggressor must face fair and public war crime trials, if necessary
**Soldiers from all sides of the conflict must be held accountable for war crimes
**Civilians must be reasonably immune from punitive measures ruling out sweeping socioeconomic sanctionsExternal links
* [http://www.cceia.org/resources/journal/16_1/articles/277.html "Justice after War" by Brian Orend] in "Ethics & International Affairs", Volume 16.1 (Spring 2002)
See also "Jus Post Bellum": Extending the Just War Theory," by Mark J. Allman and Tobias L. Winright, in "Faith in Public Life", College Theology Society Annual Volume 53, 2007 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2008), 241-264.
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