Contact David Turns

Background

David graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with an Upper Second Class LLB (Honours) degree in 1990 and an LLM in 1992, and has been a non-practising barrister and Member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple since 1992. From 1990 to 1994 he taught Public International Law as a Part-time Lecturer at the London School of Economics, and was a full Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool from 1994 to 2007.

He has specialised in the education and training of military legal advisers since 1995 and has also delivered courses on international law for humanitarian aid workers, military officers (non-legal, including senior commanders) and civil servants, in the UK and many other countries around the world.

David was a Visiting Professor at the Institute of International Law and International Relations, University of Vienna, in 2002, and is a Member of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (San Remo, Italy), the Board of Directors of the International Society for Military Law & the Law of War, and the Advisory Board of the Hungarian Yearbook of International Law & European Law.

Research opportunities

  • International Humanitarian Law (the Law of Armed Conflict) (jus in bello)
  • Legality of the Use of Force by States (jus ad bellum)
  • International Criminal Law


Current activities

David's current scholarly interests are:

  • the historical and contemporary evolution of warfare and its effect on the development and interpretation of the laws of war;
  • Rules of Engagement as a tool for the governance of armed and security forces;
  • the doctrine of armed reprisals.

Clients

  • British Army Legal Services
  • Royal Air Force Legal Branch
  • Royal Navy Legal Services Directorate
  • Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • The Scottish Government

Publications

Articles In Journals

Books

  • Turns D & Van Engeland A (2021) Chapter 4: the legal framework for security. In: Managing security: concepts and challenges, London: Routledge, p. 64-81.
  • Turns D (2021) Cyber war and the law of neutrality. In: Research Handbook on International Law and Cyberspace, Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 470-488.
  • Turns D (2020) Implementation of international humanitarian law. In: The Oxford Guide to International Humanitarian Law, Oxford University Press, p. 359-380.
  • Turns D (2018) Chapter 27: The law of armed conflict (international humanitarian law). In: International Law, Oxford University Press, p. 840-876, ed. 5th.
  • Turns D (2016) Military Objectives. In: Routledge Handbook of the Law of Armed Conflict. Liivoja R, McCormack T (ed.), London: Routledge, p. 139-156.
  • Turns D (2016) Commentary: On the Intersection of the Responsibility to Protect, the Protection of Civilians and International Humanitarian Law in Contemporary Armed Conflicts. In: Beyond Responsibility to Protect . Generating Change in International Law, Cambridge: Intersentia, p. 287-296.
  • Turns & D (2015) Cyber war and the law of neutrality. In: Research Handbook on International Law and Cyberspace, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, p. 380-400.
  • Turns D (2014) Droning on: some international humanitarian law aspects of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in contemporary armed conflicts. In: Contemporary Challenges to the Laws of War: Essays in Honour of Professor Peter Rowe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 191-215.
  • Turns D (2014) The Law of Armed Conflict (International Humanitarian Law). In: International Law, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 821-853, ed. 4.
  • Turns D (2013) A Liberal Way to War? International Law and Two Centuries of "Benevolent Aggression". In: The Liberal Way of War: Legal Perspectives. Barnidge RP (ed.), Farnham: Ashgate, p. 279-300.
  • Turns D (2013) Cyber War and the Concept of "Attack" in International Humanitarian Law. In: International Law and the Changing Technology of War. Saxon D (ed.), Leiden: Brill/Martinus Nijhoff, p. 209-227, ed. 1.
  • Turns D (2013) Targets. In: Research Handbook on International Conflict and Security Law: Jus ad Bellum, Jus in Bello and Jus post Bellum. Henderson C, White ND (ed.), Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 342-374.
  • Turns D (2013) Prosecutor v. Blagojević and Jokić - Commentary. In: Annotated Leading Cases of International Criminal Tribunals : The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 2006-2007, Cambridge: Intersentia, p. 478-480.
  • Turns D (2012) Classification, Administration and Treatment of Battlefield Detainees. In: Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice. Salinas de Frias AM, Samuel KLH, White ND (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 426-456, ed. 1.
  • Turns D (2010) The Law of Armed Conflict (International Humanitarian Law). In: International Law. Evans MD (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 814-847, ed. 3.
  • Turns D (2009) Sumida and Others. In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 940-941.
  • Turns D (2009) St-Die. In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 936-936.
  • Turns D (2009) Meyer (The Abbaye Ardenne Case). In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 808-809.
  • Turns D (2009) Mugabe (Tachiona v Mugabe). In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 821-821.
  • Turns D (2009) Eck and Others (The Peleus Trial). In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 651-652.
  • Turns D (2009) Grumpelt (The Scuttled U-boats Case). In: The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice. Cassese A et al (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 705-706.