What is war crime?

There are also some rules for war, these rules have been made under the Geneva Convention, Hague Convention and other international laws and agreements.

War crimes are violations of the laws of war, including the intentional killing of civilians or the intentional killing of prisoners of war, torture, hostage-taking, wanton destruction of civilian property, sexual violence during wartime, looting, and the recruitment of children into the military. crimes like genocide etc.

According to the UN, the rules of war were first formulated in the early 20th century. These rules were dictated by the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 and the four treaties made during 1864 to 1949 by the Geneva Conventions.

Where the Hague Convention prohibits the use of some deadly weapons such as anti-personnel landmines and chemical or biological weapons, etc. in times of war, the Geneva Convention sets the rules for war crimes committed during war.

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Supreme Court of India refuses to interfere with French law on Sikh rights

A Sikh forum on Tuesday presented an impossible task before the Supreme Court — to extend its jurisdiction to France to protect religious rights of the community, perceived to be under threat from a local law banning exhibition of religious symbols by citizens.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and Mukundakam Sharma chuckled at the suggestion but tried to reason it out with petitioner ‘Singh Legal Forum’ that it was a matter for the ministry of external affairs to take up with the French government and that the apex court had no role to play.

Petitioner’s counsel persisted with the plea for relief from the SC on the ground that there was no tangible help from the government and there had been no let up in the implementation of the rigorous French law, which was enacted in 2004 and was hurting the religious sentiments of a sizeable number of Sikhs in France. The bench, unable to make the petitioner see reason, said, “The government had taken up the matter with the French government and the SC can do little in this.”

The unrelenting petitioner angered the Bench. The bench said, “Then you go before the International Court of Justice or the European Human Rights Commission. We do not have jurisdiction over other countries.”

The petitioner NGO had first moved the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2005. The high court, after seeking replies from the Centre, had dismissed the petition saying the government had done its bit and the French government had clarified that the 2004 law applied to all religious communities equally and that there was no discriminatory application of the legislation banning exhibition of religious symbols in public.

With thanks from The Times of India 14 May 2008 P.9 Delhi
With thanks from The Time of India
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