Ireland
Practice Relating to Rule 15. The Principle of Precautions in Attack
Ireland’s Geneva Conventions Act (1962), as amended in 1998, provides that any “minor breach” of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, including violations of Article 57(1), and any “contravention” of the 1977 Additional Protocol II, including violations of Article 13(1), are punishable offences.
Ireland’s Basic LOAC Guide (2005) provides a list of “Soldiers Rules”, including: “Employ methods of attack which will achieve your objective with the least amount of incidental civilian damage.”
Ireland’s Geneva Conventions Act (1962), as amended in 1998, provides that any “minor breach” of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, including violations of Article 57(4), and any “contravention” of the 1977 Additional Protocol II, including violations of Article 13(2), are punishable offences.
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Ireland stated: “The word ‘feasible’ means that which is practicable or practically possible, taking into account all circumstances at the time, including humanitarian and military considerations.”
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Ireland stated:
In relation to Article 51 to 58 inclusive, it is the understanding of Ireland that military commanders and others responsible for planning, deciding upon, or executing attacks necessarily have to reach decisions on the basis of their assessment of the information from all sources which is reasonably available to them at the relevant time.