Adomnán's Lex Innocentium and the Laws of War

James W. Houlihan

This book studies the Irish law dating from AD 697, called Lex Innocentium or the Law of the Innocents. It is also known as Cáin Adomnáin, being named after Adomnán (d. 704), ninth abbot of Iona, who was responsible for its drafting and promulgation. The law was designed to offer legislative protection for women, children, clerics and other non-arms-bearing people, primarily though not exclusively, in times of conflict. Since this volume was first published in hardback in 2020 serious breaches of the laws of war have occurred, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza, giving this book a grim relevance for the present day. The author cautions the reader to remember that the horrors of war are not just a phenomenon of the past. 

James W. Houlihan practised law as a solicitor in the Irish midlands for many years. On his retirement he completed a MA and a PhD in University College Dublin.