Under international human rights law, intentional use of lethal force is permitted only as a last resort against someone who poses an imminent threat to life; otherwise such use may violate the right to life and be characterized as an extrajudicial killing.
October 31, 2025
high
legal
This is a normative principle governing the lawful use of lethal force outside armed conflict.
Incidents that occur outside the context of armed conflict or active hostilities are governed by international human rights law rather than by the law of armed conflict.
October 31, 2025
high
legal
This distinction determines which legal framework applies to the use of force in peacetime or non‑international operations.
Under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is permitted only as a last resort against an individual who poses an imminent threat to life.
high
legal
Principle governing limits on use of lethal force in law-enforcement and human-rights frameworks.
Extrajudicial killings constitute violations of the right to life under international human rights law.
high
legal
Legal characterization of intentional unlawful killings under human-rights norms.