The Rule of Law requires the armed forces to operate on the basis of the law and in accordance with the law.

Military operations are based on the principle of the Rule of Law, which boils down to the notion that all military action must be based on the law and carried out in accordance with te law. The military can further strengthen the Rule of Law by collecting and securing battlefield evidence in order to bring war criminals to justice.

BIOGRAPHY

Colonel Dr. Joop Voetelink is an experienced Air Force Legal Advisor, who has been deployed to, inter alia, the former Yugoslavia, Turkey and Afghanistan. He is currently assigned to the Netherlands Defence Academy. His research focuses on military operational law. One of the themes he is involved in is the changing legal framework of military operations.