Janina Dill

Awards

Runner-up Birk’s Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship, Society of Legal Scholars (2016); Shortlisted for an Innovation in Teaching Award, Oxford University Student Union (2013); Lord Bryce Prize for the Best Dissertation in IR/Comparative Studies, Political Studies Association (2012); Dasturzada Dr Jal Pavry Memorial Prize for an Outstanding Thesis in the Area of International Peace and Understanding, University of Oxford (2012).

Experience Keywords

Air Warfare; Changing Character of War; Just War Theory; Laws of war; Morality of War; international humanitarian law; international relations theory

Research Summary

My research focuses on international law and ethics in war. I currently work on the legality and moral implications of collateral damage caused by air strikes and ground operations. I investigate in particular the development of US air warfare, contemporary counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, and Israeli military practices. My book ''Legitimate Targets?'' offers an innovative theory of international law. It investigates the effectiveness of international humanitarian law (IHL) in regulating the conduct of warfare. Through a comprehensive examination of the IHL defining a legitimate target of attack it reveals a controversy among legal and military professionals about the ''logic'' according to which belligerents ought to balance humanitarian and military imperatives: the logics of sufficiency or efficiency. Law prescribes the former, but increased recourse to international law in US air warfare has led to targeting in accordance with the logic of efficiency. The logic of sufficiency is morally less problematic, yet neither logic satisfies contemporary expectations of effective IHL or legitimate warfare.

Languages

German [Spoken: Fluent, Written: Fluent]