Jus Post Bellum: Justice After War in Fourteenth-Century War Treatises

Abstract

This article examines the legal and moral framework concerning justice after war in Giovanni da Legnano’s De Bello, De Represaliis et De Duello and Honore Bouvet’s L’Arbre des Batailles. Throughout these works various principles can be identified which are similar to the modern term jus post bellum. The authors presented various objectives determining the correct time to end a conflict. They also established specific actions concerning the seizure of property, the treatment of prisoners, and the negotiation of treaties. These actions balanced justice and mercy allowing previously warring nations to be reconciled.