The Manifest Illegality Disposition as an Invalid Defense for ARC Soldiers
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Context: The article examines the validity of “manifest illegality” as a defense for ARC soldiers, drawing on the case of Dominic Ongwen and engaging with recent debates on the dual condition of child soldiers as both victims and perpetrators. It is framed within the discussions of the Rome Statute and in neuropsychological and moral research on the impact of forced recruitment on responsible agency.
Methodology: A philosophical and critical analysis is employed, supported by interdisciplinary literature on moral development, neuroscience, and moral philosophy. The arguments of Renée Souris (2017) are contrasted with studies by other authors to assess the coherence of the defense based on “manifest illegality.”
Conclusions: The article argues that although ARC soldiers present emotional and moral impairments that affect their capacity for agency, these do not justify a defense based on “manifest illegality.” Souris’s proposal is considered excessive, as it implies a total destruction of moral agency, which does not correspond with empirical evidence or with the philosophical theory of moral perception. The contribution of this paper lies in delineating the actual scope of moral harm and warning against the risks of overstating its legal implications.
- Child soldiers
- Moral perception
- Criminal responsibility
- Agency
- Legality
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