ABSTRACT Although offenses against international law have been proscribed at a certain level of generality, nobody hitherto has examined closely the scientific and ecological damages that would be imposed by nuclear strikes in relation to resulting possible law-of-war violations. To correct that information deficit and institutional shortfall, the first Part of this Article constructs a hortatory proposal for a tribunal for the use of nuclear weapons under international law. The second Part of the Article shows how such a tribunal statute would have a real-world effect on those charged with launching nuclear strikes and determining the legality of the strike orders. For the first time, through a series of interviews and electronic communications, we have gathered empirical and anecdotal information regarding the actual processes of launch instructions to lower level crewmembers and, in particular, those who refused the order – or “refuseniks”. What emerges from these accounts is the startling reality that low-level crewmembers had little or no guidance on the legality of the strike under the laws of war but were told simply to trust their leadership. A tribunal statute geared specifically to the use of nuclear weapons would provide needed guidance and constitute solid legal grounds upon which to stand should those lower down in the chain of command find the order to launch a nuclear strike manifestly illegal under international law.

中文翻译：

---

国际使用核武器法庭

摘要尽管已在一定程度上笼罩了违反国际法的罪行，但迄今为止，没有人仔细检查过核打击对可能造成的违反战争法行为造成的科学和生态损害。为了纠正这种信息短缺和机构短缺的情况，本条第一部分提出了一项关于根据国际法使用核武器的法庭的临时性建议。该条款的第二部分显示了这样的法庭法规将如何对那些被控发起核打击和确定打击令的合法性产生现实影响。通过一系列的采访和电子通讯，我们已经收集了有关向下级机组人员，特别是拒绝下达指令的人员（或“拒绝使用”人员）发射指令的实际过程的经验和轶事信息。从这些叙述中得出的事实是，令人震惊的现实是，低级机组人员对根据战争法进行罢工的合法性的指导很少或没有指导，而只是被告知要相信自己的领导才能。专门针对使用核武器的法庭规约将提供必要的指导，并构成坚实的法律基础，如果指挥系统中的下层人员发现发动明显违反国际法的核打击的命令，则可以作为立足之本。从这些叙述中得出的事实是，令人震惊的现实是，低级机组人员对根据战争法进行罢工的合法性的指导很少或没有指导，而只是被告知要相信自己的领导才能。专门针对使用核武器的法庭规约将提供必要的指导，并构成坚实的法律基础，如果指挥系统中的下层人员发现发动明显违反国际法的核打击的命令，则可以作为立足之本。从这些叙述中得出的事实是，令人震惊的现实是，低级机组人员对根据战争法进行罢工的合法性的指导很少或没有指导，而只是被告知要相信自己的领导才能。专门针对使用核武器的法庭规约将提供必要的指导，并构成坚实的法律基础，如果指挥系统中的下层人员发现发动核打击的命令根据国际法显然是非法的，则可作为立足之本。