International Human Rights Law - Final Exam Questions and Answer Updated 2026

International Human
Rights Law - Final Exam
Questions and Answer
Updated 2026
JusBInBBelloB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BtheBlawBthatBgovernsBtheBwayBinBwhichBwarfareBisBconductedB--
>BconductBofBpartiesBengagedBinBanBarmedBconflict.

IHLBisBsynonymousBwithBjusBinBbello



Significance:BitBseeksBtoBminimizeBsufferingBinBarmedBconflicts,BnotablyBbyBprotecting
BandBassistingBallBvictimsBofBarmedBconflictBtoBtheBgreatestBextentBpossible.



HamdanBv.BRumsfieldB-
BAnswerBCaseBinBwhichBtheBSupremeBCourtBofBtheBUSBheldBthatBmilitaryBcommissio
nsBsetBupBtoBtryBdetaineesBatBGuantanamoBBayBlackB"theBpowerBtoBproceedBbecaus
eBstructuresBandBproceduresBviolateBbothBtheBuniformBcodeBofBmilitaryBjusticeBandBt
heBfourBGenevaBconventionsBsigned.BTheBrulingBstatedBthatBcommonBarticleB3BofBthe
BGenevaBConventionsBwasBviolated



GenevaBConventionsB-
BAnswerBComprisesBfourBtreaties,BandBthreeBadditionalBprotocols,BthatBestablishBtheB
standardsBofBinternationalBlawBforBhumanitarianBtreatmentBinBwar.



BasicBrightsBofBwartimeBprisonersB(civiliansBandBmilitaryBpersonnel);BestablishedBprote
ctionsBforBtheBwoundedBandBsick;BandBestablishedBprotectionsBforBtheBciviliansBinBan
dBaroundBaBwar-zone.



HumanitarianBLawB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BTheBlawBthatBregulatesBtheBconductBofBwarB(jusBinBbello)

,Significance:BseeksBtoBlimitBtheBeffectsBofBarmedBconflictBbyBprotectingBpersonsBwho
BareBnotBparticipatingBinBhostilitiesB(civilians),BandBbyBrestrictingBandBregulatingBtheB
meansBandBmethodsBofBwarfareBavailableBtoBcombatants.



PrincipleBofBProportionalityB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BtheBharmBcausedBtoBciviliansBorBcivilianBpropertyBmustBbeBpropo
rtionalBandBnotBexcessiveBinBrelationBtoBtheBconcreteBandBdirectBmilitaryBadvantageB
anticipatedBbyBanBattackBonBaBmilitaryBobjective.B



Significance:BInBtheBconductBofBwar,BwhenBaBpartyBcommitsBaBlawfulBattackBagainstB
aBmilitaryBobjective,BtheBprincipleBofBproportionalityBalsoBcomesBintoBplayBwheneverB
thereBisBcollateralBdamage,BthatBis,BcivilianBcasualtiesBorBdamageBtoBaBnonmilitaryBob
jective.



DerogationsBofBrightsBrequireBtheBsatisfactionBofBtwoBtests.B

•B1)BsituationBmustBtrulyBthreatenBlifeBofBtheBstate.B

•B2)BthatBmeasuresBtakenBinBconsequenceBofBsuchBanBemergencyBareB'strictlyBrequir
edBbyBtheBexigenciesBofBtheBsituation'



HabeasBCorpusB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BaBlegalBactionBthatBaBpersonBcanBbringBinBorderBtoBseekBreliefB
againstBarbitraryBandBunlawfulBdetention



Significance:BrepresentsBtheBideaBthatBtheBkingBorBtheBPresident,BmayBnot,BatBhisBw
him,BdetainBwhomeverBheBwantsBwithoutBallowingBtheBdetaineeBtheBopportunityBtoB
standBbeforeBaBfairBcourtBtoBhearBtheBchargesBagainstBhimBorBherBandBtoBhaveBanB
opportunityBtoBAnswerBtheBcharges.B



FilingBaBpetitionBforBaBwritBofBhabeasBcorpusBisBaBlegalBchallengeBtoBtheBgovernmen
t'sBabilityBtoBdetainBanBindividual.



Imp.BForBGuantanamoBBayBdetainees

,MilitaryBTribunalsB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BmilitaryBcourtsBdesignedBtoBtryBmembersBofBenemyBforcesBdurin
gBwartime,BoperatingBoutsideBtheBscopeBofBconventionalBcriminalBandBcivilBproceedin
gs



Significance:BRarelyBfollowBIHRLBperfectly

ABmilitaryBtribunal,BorBcommission,BisBdifferentBfromBaBregularBcivilianBcriminalBcourt.
BInBaBtribunal,BmilitaryBofficersBactBasBbothBjudgeBandBjury.BAfterBaBhearing,BguiltBis
BdeterminedBbyBaBvoteBofBtheBcommissioners.BUnlikeBaBcriminalBjury,BtheBdecisionBd
oesBnotBhaveBtoBbeBunanimous.



GuantanamoB-BAnswerBBanBonBtortureBnotBfullyBmetB

CallBforBreformBpostB9/11

UnlawfulBandBinhumaneBactsB

UnitedBStatesBmilitaryBprisonBlocatedBwithinBGuantanamoBBayBNavalBBase,BinmatesBd
etainedBindefinitelyBwithoutBtrialBandBseveralBinmatesBwereBseverelyBtortured,BthisBca
mpBisBconsideredBasBaBmajorBbreachBofBhumanBrights



EnemyBUnlawfulBCombatantB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BAnBunlawfulBcombatant,BillegalBcombatantBorBunprivilegedBcomba
tant/belligerentBisBaBpersonBwhoBdirectlyBengagesBinBarmedBconflictBinBviolationBofBt
heBlawsBofBwar.



Significance:BAnBunlawfulBcombatantBmayBbeBdetainedBorBprosecutedBunderBtheBdom
esticBlawBofBtheBdetainingBstateBforBsuchBaction,BsubjectBofBcourseBtoBinternationalBt
reatiesBonBjusticeBandBhumanBrights.



MilitaryBCommissionBActBofB2006B-
BAnswerBDefinition:BanBActBofBCongressBsignedBbyBPresidentBGeorgeBW.BBushBonBOc
toberB17,B2006.BTheBAct'sBstatedBpurposeBwasB"toBauthorizeBtrialBbyBmilitaryBcommi
ssionBforBviolationsBofBtheBlawBofBwar,BandBforBotherBpurposes"

, Significance:BaBcontroversyBoverBwhetherBthisBlawBaffectsBtheBrightsBofBhabeasBcorpu
sBforBUnitedBStatesBcitizens.

noBhabeasBcorpusBforBenemyBcombatants,BonlyBpresidentBcanBdetermine

itBaffectsBtheBroleBofBU.S.BcourtsBinBprotectingBtheBfundamentalBrightsBofBdetainees,B
theBimplementationBofBtheBGenevaBConventionsBunderBU.S.Blaw,BandBtheBprosecution
BofBabusesBbyBU.S.Bofficials.



AdditionalBInfo:B

-BdraftedBfollowingBtheBSupremeBCourt'sBdecisionBonBHamdanBv.BRumsfeldB(2006)



TheBCarolineBCase*B-
BAnswerBUnitedBStates,BBritain,BandBtheBCanadianBindependenceBmovement.BCanadia
nBrebels,BcommandingBtheBshipBCaroline,BBritishBforcesBthenBboardedBtheBship,Bkilled
BanBAmericanBcrewBmemberBinBtheBfighting,BandBthenBburnedBtheBshipBandBsentBit
BoverBNiagaraBFalls.



ThisBactionBoutragedBtheBUnitedBStates.BInBretaliations,BaBgroupBofBAmericanBandBCa
nadianBraidersBattackedBaBBritishBshipBandBdestroyedBit



BecauseBofBthisB-->BCarolineBtest:BPreemptiveBself-defenseB--
>Binstant,Boverwhelming,BandBleavingBnoBchoiceBofBmeans,BandBnoBmomentBforBdeli
beration

EstablishesBrightBofB"anticipatoryBself-defense":

ResponseBmustBbeBnecessaryB(noBoptionBforBpeacefulBsolution)BandBproportional



SovereigntyB-
BAnswerBDefinition:BtheBauthorityBofBaBstateBtoBgovernBitselfBorBanotherBstate



"ExtraterritorialBjurisdiction"BisBusuallyBseenBasBaBviolationBofBtheBprincipleBofBsoverei
gntyBandBinternationalBlaw.