Lethal autonomous weapon systems: a complex attribution of criminal responsibility

author Eric Pomès
journal RIDP (ISSN: 0223-5404)
volume 2022
issue Military Justice. Contemporary Challenges, History and Comparison
section Part 2. Military justice as it is. Contemporary challenges
publicatie datum 22 décembre 2022
langue English
pagina 191
abstract

The robotization of the battlefield is accelerating in recent years. This phenomenon should lead to the deployment of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS). This deployment raises many questions both legal and ethical. Regarding the legal dimension, the questioning focuses on criminal liability because the introduction of LAWS would imply that machines ‘decide’ to kill human beings. This reality would lead to the non-existence of liability for violations of IHL. However, this conclusion seems excessive. While the imputability of criminal responsibility may be complex, the legal vacuum feared by some does not exist.