THE HISTORY OF THE HAGUE LAW.

The law of The Hague, like the Law of Geneva, is a branch of international humanitarian law
whose objective is to determine the rights and duties of belligerents in the conduct of military
operations, and to limit the means of inflicting damage on the enemy. The law of the Hague also
referred to as ‘the Hague Conventions’ originated from two successive international peace
conferences held in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1899 and 1907, which aimed to limit the
suffering caused by war and to prevent the escalation of violence. 1 The first conference was
proposed by Tsar Nicholas II, the Czar of Russia, who wanted to reduce the military
expenditures and the arms race among the European powers. Tsar’s objective was to put
limitations to the continued development of armaments by ensuring a real and lasting peace to all
people. The main effect of the convention was to ban the use of certain types of modern
technology in war such as Aerial bombing and use of hollow point bullets that expand on
contact. The conference adopted three conventions and three declarations, which dealt with
issues such as the peaceful settlement of disputes, the laws and customs of war on land, the
prohibition of certain projectiles and explosives, and the adaptation of the Geneva Convention to
naval warfare.2

The second conference was convened by Theodore Roosevelt, the president of the United States,
who hoped to expand the scope and effectiveness of the first conference. The second conference
adopted thirteen conventions and one declaration, which covered topics such as the rights and
duties of neutral powers, the laying of submarine mines, the bombardment of undefended towns,
the protection of cultural property, and the establishment of an international prize court. 3 The
Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 were among the first formal statements of the laws of war
and war crimes in international law. They were influenced by the Lieber Code, which was a set
of rules issued by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War to regulate the behavior of
the Union forces. The Hague Conventions also inspired the development of the Geneva
Conventions, which focused on the protection of the victims of war.4

1
https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/article/other/57jrlq,htm
2
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hague_Conventions_of_1899_and_1907
3
Ibid
4
https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/article/other/57jrlq.htm
The law of The Hague is still relevant today, as it forms part of the customary international
humanitarian law that binds all states and parties to armed conflicts. However, the law of The
Hague has also been updated and supplemented by various treaties and protocols, such as the
1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, the 1977 Additional Protocol I
to the Geneva Conventions, and the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. These
instruments aim to address the new challenges and threats posed by modern warfare and
technology.5

5
https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/law-hague