In situations of national crisis, it is not uncommon to see community members join together to provide security services to their communities, gap-filling or supplementing the security services of the State. These “community defence groups” perform many roles, from operating checkpoints and conducting surveillance missions to patrolling roads and even participating in combined combat operations with the State. Unfortunately, while many community defence groups perform an important service for their community, some have been accused of serious human rights abuses or even war crimes. This article examines the circumstances in which a State might be responsible in relation to wrongful acts of community defence groups operating within their territory.Each community defence group differs in its structure, its activities and its relationship with the State. As such, any assessment of the potential responsibility of the State will depend upon the particulars of each group and its operations. The contribution of this article is to provide a framework for assessing State responsibility in relation to community defence groups. It does so by examining the potential attribution of acts of the community defence group to the State, applying secondary rules of State responsibility. In addition, it also considers the potential responsibilities of the State under primary rules of international law, namely international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in circumstances where the primary wrongful act is not attributable to the State.

中文翻译：

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社区防御团体的国家责任失控

在国家危机的情况下，社区成员联合起来为他们的社区提供安全服务，填补或补充国家安全服务的情况并不少见。这些“社区防御小组”扮演着许多角色，从操作检查站和执行监视任务到巡逻道路，甚至参与与国家的联合作战行动。不幸的是，虽然许多社区保护团体为他们的社区提供了重要服务，但有些团体被指控犯有严重侵犯人权甚至战争罪。本文探讨了国家可能对其在其领土内运作的社区防卫团体的不法行为负责的情况。每个社区防卫团体的结构都不同，其活动及其与国家的关系。因此，对国家潜在责任的任何评估将取决于每个团体的具体情况及其运作。本文的贡献是为评估与社区防御团体相关的国家责任提供一个框架。它通过审查社区辩护团体的行为可能归咎于国家，应用国家责任的次要规则来做到这一点。此外，它还考虑了在主要不法行为不能归咎于国家的情况下，根据国际法的主要规则，即国际人道主义法和国际人权法，国家的潜在责任。对国家潜在责任的任何评估将取决于每个团体的具体情况及其运作。本文的贡献是为评估与社区防御团体相关的国家责任提供一个框架。它通过审查社区辩护团体的行为可能归咎于国家，应用国家责任的次要规则来做到这一点。此外，它还考虑了在主要不法行为不能归咎于国家的情况下，根据国际法的主要规则，即国际人道主义法和国际人权法，国家的潜在责任。对国家潜在责任的任何评估将取决于每个团体的具体情况及其运作。本文的贡献是为评估与社区防御团体相关的国家责任提供一个框架。它通过审查社区辩护团体的行为可能归咎于国家，应用国家责任的次要规则来做到这一点。此外，它还考虑了在主要不法行为不能归咎于国家的情况下，根据国际法的主要规则，即国际人道主义法和国际人权法，国家的潜在责任。它通过审查社区辩护团体的行为可能归咎于国家，应用国家责任的次要规则来做到这一点。此外，它还考虑了在主要不法行为不能归咎于国家的情况下，根据国际法的主要规则，即国际人道主义法和国际人权法，国家的潜在责任。它通过审查社区辩护团体的行为可能归咎于国家，应用国家责任的次要规则来做到这一点。此外，它还考虑了在主要不法行为不能归咎于国家的情况下，根据国际法的主要规则，即国际人道主义法和国际人权法，国家的潜在责任。