PRISONERS OF WAR AND INTERNATIONAL LAW RELATING TO ARMED CONFLICTS: A CONTEMPORARY ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION International humanitarian law also known as the ‘law of armed conflict’ is a branch of international law that regulates armed conflict. IHL is also known by the term ‘jus in bello’ – which translates from Latin as ‘justice in war’.2 International Humanitarian Law endeavours to govern the conduct of armed conflict through a number of means, for example: 1. through norms which safeguard persons who do not, or does not participate in hostilities directly; 2. By imposing restraints on parties to armed conflict in regard to the methods that are permissible to employ in the armed conflict.