“Ukraine’s president declared martial law after Russia’s attack. But what is it?”

Williams Banks, professor of law emeritus in the College of Law, was interviewed for the USA Today story “Ukraine’s president declared martial law after Russia’s attack. But what is it?” Banks, an expert on the laws of war and national security, explained that while the specifics of martial law differ in each country, it is typically only invoked in times of war or civil disorder. “Martial law is essentially the absence of law,” Banks said. However, he notes that martial law is “really an alien concept” in the U.S.