The growth in scope and importance of the private military and security industry (PMSI) in the past decade has challenged the role of the state as the main provider of defence and security functions. At the same time it has put under stress the state's authority to properly oversee the conduct of private contractors and has raised the question whether existing rules of domestic law and international law are adequate to ensure their accountability in the event of abuses. This book addresses this second question through the lens of international human rights law and international humanitarian la ... More

The growth in scope and importance of the private military and security industry (PMSI) in the past decade has challenged the role of the state as the main provider of defence and security functions. At the same time it has put under stress the state's authority to properly oversee the conduct of private contractors and has raised the question whether existing rules of domestic law and international law are adequate to ensure their accountability in the event of abuses. This book addresses this second question through the lens of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and offers a systematic analysis of the way in which these two bodies of international law, applicable in time of peace and in the event of armed conflict, may be interpreted and implemented in a way as to fill possible accountability gaps. Human rights and humanitarian law obligations are analysed from the point of view of their applicability to the states involved, to international organisations, to the companies and their individual employees. Access to civil remedies of potential victims and criminal prosecution of private contractors, as well as new policy issues, such as the use of private contractors in the fights against piracy, are also covered in the book.