Schedule 1—Amendment of the Criminal Code Act 1995

Chapter 8—Offences against humanity and related offences

Division 268—Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against the administration of the justice of the International Criminal Court

Subdivision E—Other serious war crimes that are committed in the course of an international armed conflict


268.39 War crime—attacking undefended places

A person (the perpetrator) commits an offence if:

(a) the perpetrator attacks or bombards one or more towns, villages, dwellings or buildings; and
(b) the towns, villages, dwellings or buildings are open for unresisted occupation; and
(c) the towns, villages, dwellings or buildings do not constitute military objectives; and
(d) the perpetrator’s conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an international armed conflict.

Penalty: Imprisonment for life.

Article 8
War crimes
2. For the purpose of this Statute, "war crimes" means:
(b) Other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in international armed
conflict, within the established framework of international law, namely, any of the following acts:
(v) Attacking or bombarding, by whatever means, towns, villages, dwellings or
buildings which are undefended and which are not military objectives