People

Elliot Winter

My research interest is in the Law of Armed Conflict (also known somewhat euphemistically as International Humanitarian Law) which is grounded principally in the Geneva Conventions as well as other treaties and customs. 

With the recent increase in global tensions, this difficult area of international regulation remains as important as ever; yet the scope for further agreement between the great powers has diminished.  Hence, I explore the extent to which the existing rules are capable of adequately governing current and future conflicts.  I am presently investigating how the Law of Armed Conflict might be applied to the sort of ‘lethal autonomous weapons’ that are currently in development and which, in essence, are machines that can be programmed and then released onto the battlefield to operate without further human intervention.  By removing human beings from the equation, a major pillar upon which the law is based falls away and this, in turn, raises questions over whether it can continue to function effectively.