CLASS 5: THE ETHICS OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN & DEPLOYMENT​

• 4 BASIC PRINCIPLES

• 1 . DISTINCTION – “In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives.” [Additional Protocol 1, Article 48] The only legitimate object of attack in an armed conflict is military personnel or property. Civilians may still be *legally harmed or killed under the law, but civilians and civilian property should not be the object or the purpose of the attack. 

• 2. PROPORTIONALITY – “Loss of life and damage to property incidental to attacks must not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage expected to be gained.” [U.S. Army Field Manual FM27-10: Law of Land Warfare]. Note the use of the term "incidental: military targets may still be less than incidental (substantial). In theory, damage to civilians, natural resources, property, and infrastructure cannot be excessive in relation to the military advantage gained. This principle presents an obligation to consider all options when making tactical and strategic decisions.

• 3. NECESSITY – “…[E]very injury done to the enemy, even though permitted by the rules, is excusable only so far as it is absolutely necessary; everything beyond that is criminal.” – Napoleon [Gary D. Solis, Law of Armed Conflict  p. 258]. The principal of military necessity prohibits  wounding or permanently injuring an opponent (except in self-defense), torture to exact confessions, and  activities used to inflict additional damage on the enemy that do not further military objectives. 

• 4. UNNECESSARY SUFFERING – “It is prohibited to employ weapons, projectiles and materials and methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.” [Additional Protocol I, Article 35.2] This includes chemical and biological weapons, as well as those that are designed to spread projectile matter within soft tissue (IEDs and scatter weapons)

  • CALLING OF THE ENGINEER (RUDYARD KIPLING): Ceremony for The Calling of the Engineer

  • CALLING OF THE ENGINEER FOR STUDENTS: ***Ceremony Calling Text for Canadian Students

  • ICRAC LOAC: Law of Armed Conflict Overview-Page 12-1

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