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 G—War crimes that are other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict

268.78 War crime—attacking persons or objects using the distinctive emblems of the Geneva Conventions

(1) A person (the perpetrator) commits an offence if:
(a) the perpetrator attacks one or more persons; and
(b) the person or persons are using, in conformity with the Geneva Conventions or the Protocols to the Geneva Conventions, any of the distinctive emblems of the Geneva Conventions; and
(c) the perpetrator intends the persons so using such an emblem to be the object of the attack; and
(d) the perpetrator's conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict.

Penalty: Imprisonment for life.

(2) A person (the perpetrator) commits an offence if:
(a) the perpetrator attacks one or more buildings, medical units or transports or other objects; and
(b) the buildings, units or transports or other objects are using, in conformity with the Geneva Conventions or the Protocols to the Geneva Conventions, any of the distinctive emblems of the Geneva Conventions; and
(c) the perpetrator intends the buildings, units or transports or other objects so using such an emblem to be the object of the attack; and
(d) the perpetrator's conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 20 years.

(3) Strict liability applies to paragraphs (1)(b) and (2)(b).

Article 8
War crimes
2. For the purpose of this Statute, "war crimes" means:
(e) Other serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in armed conflicts not of
an international character, within the established framework of international law, namely, any of
the following acts:
(ii) Intentionally directing attacks against buildings, material, medical units and transport, and personnel using the distinctive emblems of the Geneva Conventions in conformity with international law