This paper deals with issues of time and timing in Just War theory. It argues that mainstream Just War theory relegates time and timing to the realm of empirical contingencies, instead of acknowledging their inherent normativity. Its legalist focus on principles and rules, rather than judgment and interpretation, makes a serious engagement with time and timing appear quite alien to Just War theory. To counter this shortcoming, the paper then unfolds the dual structure of political time as both chronos and kairos. It is claimed that any minimally realist account of warfare’s justice needs to incorporate and reflect this dual structure of political time. In the final part, I show that a casuistic re-orientation of Just War theory would have the beneficial effect to put critique back on the agenda. Such a re-orientation would also valorize judgment and interpretation as necessary means to engage with the normativity of political time.
