Expeditionary conflict

Abstract

Expeditionary conflict, where military force is used for purposes other than defence of the state, is a developing field in military ethics. In law, the nature of these conflicts raises a question of whether or not military force should be constrained by the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) or the law enforcement paradigm, which demands that Human Rights Law take precedence over International Humanitarian Law. In ethics there is some question of whether or not Just War Theory can be applied to such conflicts, or if we need to apply some other ethical theory.