As opposed to the ‘law of Geneva’, the ‘law of the Hague’ is a colloquial term that refers to a body of law mainly dealing with rules of conduct of hostilities and establishing limitations or prohibitions of specific means and methods of warfare. The term derives its name from the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. It comprises rules protecting persons who are not in the power of a party to the conflict.
With the adoption of Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions that codify and develop rules on conduct of hostilities, the dichotomy between the terms ‘law of Geneva’ and ‘law of the Hague’ has largely lost its relevance.
See Law of Geneva; Hague Conventions; Means of warfare; Methods of warfare; Conduct of hostilities;