There is much talk about why a marine should not be convicted over the Haditha killings. It is always difficult in times of war where death is inevitable as to whether or not death can be classified as murder. Can killing people ever be justified? Can it ever be legal? In the United Kingdom when there was the death sentence by hanging after each execution the executioner had to appear at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) on a charge of murder and on the directions of the Judge would order the jury to return a verdict of 'not guilty'. Now not many people even jurists were ever aware of that. It was the only way that taking of a life by law could be justified. But in times of war can an individual soldier who is party to an assault on a house to occupy the terrain and who kills those inside be guilty of murder? Many jurists will be occupied by that for some years to come.