The right to compensation for damage caused by serious violations of IHL

The study looks at the thorny issue of the right of victims of serious violations of international humanitarian law to obtain compensation for the damage they have suffered. The author examines the applicable legal regime and notes the trend towards greater protection for the individual and his or her right to obtain compensation for damages. Taking a normativist approach, the author examines the legal basis of this individual right, the different forms of reparation, the responsibility to make reparation and the various possible remedies available to victims before both national and international courts. In the more practical approach, on the other hand, based on a study of the case law and practices of certain States, the author attempts to assess the chances of success of these victims' appeals before the judicial authorities in the light of the obstacles that litter their path in the quest for fair and equitable reparation.