AUTONOMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS AND THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2020).

• Author: Westphal, Courtney

TIM MCFARLAND, AUTONOMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS AND THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT (CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2020)

ISBN 978-1-108-49974-3 (186 PAGES)

I INTRODUCTION

International humanitarian law ('IHL') 'presents no impenetrable barriers to [the] continued development and use of autonomous weapon systems.' (1) This is the primary conclusion reached by Dr Tim McFarland, who has undertaken extensive research focusing on the legal, ethical and social implications of the use of autonomous systems in a military context. Dr McFarland initially engaged in this field of research as a member of UNSW's Values in Defence and Security Technology Group, and continues to contribute to this emerging field of academia as a research fellow at the University of Queensland.

As stated in the Introduction, the purpose of this book is to discuss 'what, if any, special requirements and limitations IHL imposes on the development, acquisition and use' of autonomous weapon systems. It is clear throughout this book that the author 'does not endorse nor oppose [the] development or use of automated weapons. Rather, Dr McFarland is seeking to explain the potential legal implications for States who are seeking to pursue plans to develop automated weapons. Although the structure of the book encourages it to be read as a whole, it is also highly suited to a reader wishing to consult and refer back to specific chapters.

II OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK

The book has eight chapters. Broadly speaking, the author uses the preliminary chapters of the book to establish the legal background and to provide a technical overview of autonomous weapons control. The later chapters of the book build on these foundational chapters to explore how weapons and targeting law may impact the development and use of autonomous weapons. The penultimate chapter of the book, chapter 7, uses an appropriately abstract case study to provide a thorough analysis of how IHL may hold individuals and States accountable for an illegal action that may be carried out by an autonomous weapon. The author concludes the book with a number of recommendations, and an insight to the research that should follow this contribution.

The scope of any discussion on autonomous military weapons has the potential to be both controversial and broad. In chapter 1, Dr McFarland defines clear boundaries around the specific scope of his book, and after reading this introductory chapter, a reader should have no doubt about what is and is not included in the chapters that follow. Nor is there doubt over the assumptions that the book is built upon. Chapter 2 logically follows with a clear discussion on the legal background relevant to the topic of autonomous weapons. The author is clear that this chapter does not provide a detailed historical account of IHL. Rather, Dr McFarland offers an overview of the historical 'influence that technological advances [similar to that of autonomous weapons] have had on the development of the law of armed conflict,' and the establishment of a group on Legal...