Meaning of hostis humani generis | Babel Free

Definitions

A person who has committed a criminal act so grave – originally maritime piracy and slave-trading, and now torture as well – that any nation may put on trial and, upon conviction, punish him or her.

Examples

“Hoſtis humani generis, is neither a Definition, nor ſo much as a Deſcription of a Pirate, but a rhetorical Invective to ſhew the Odiouſneſs of that Crime. […] So a Man who breaks the common Rules of Honeſty and Juſtice, which are eſſential to the well-being of Mankind, by robbing only one Nation, may juſtly be term'd hoſtis humani generis; and that Nation has the ſame Right to puniſh him, as if he had actually rob'd all Nations.”

“All the definitions of piracy may be reduced to two short ones: 1. That of the Roman or civil law, which describes a pirate to be hostis humani generis; that is, the enemy of mankind: 2. That of the common law, which [describes] him as being a robber on the sea, […]”

“Neither we nor any other organ of English opinion, […] can feel the slightest sympathy or compassion for the Taepings, unless indeed there be any truth in the exquisitely horrible accounts of their massacre by Chinese troops which anonymous correspondents send home here. That they are hostes humani generis, we very willingly admit. But because they are hostes humani generis it does not follow that the whole human race is bound to take up the responsibility of defeating their designs.”

“In the modern age, humanitarian and practical considerations have combined to lead the nations of the world to recognize that respect for fundamental human rights is in their individual and collective interest. Among the rights universally proclaimed by all nations, as we have noted, is the right to be free of physical torture. Indeed, for purposes of civil liability, the torturer has become—like the pirate and slave trader before him—hostis humani generis, an enemy of all mankind.”

“The response of international law, as articulated by [Hugo] Grotius in the seventeenth century—though hardly invented by him—and reiterated in later formulations, was that such actors [pirates and marauders] were outlaws, and enemies of all humankind (hostis humani generis). As the standard texts explain, this is still the case in international law today, and thus, "Piracy jure gentium (under the law of nations) is the first international crime warranting universal jurisdiction, a concept that permits any state to bring a pirate to justice at any time, anywhere."”

CEFR level