Terrorism As A Challenge For National And International Law Security Versus Liberty

The events of 11 September 2001 have led to significant developments in international law with respect to combating terrorism by military and non-military action. The volume addresses the issues raised in a comprehensive manner. It comprises country-reports with analyses of the developments in a number of selected countries. Based on these country-reports the volume traces new developments in the definition of international terrorism, deals with the issue of human rights protection under new anti-terrorist legislation and examines the recent developments towards international military action against terrorism.

How can we ensure national security against people unafraid to kill themselves along with their victims - people who, self-evidently, will not be deterred by traditional laws which punish offenders after their crimes are committed. This is the challenge for liberal democracies such as Australia. New laws specifically designed to forestall terrorist activity have been a key response. Law and Liberty in the War on Terror describes these laws and debates both their effectiveness and impact on civil liberties. International and domestic commentators from the fields of government, law and political science address questions such as: How does the law define 'terrorism'? Can the criminal justice system accommodate preparatory terrorism offences? Is torture ever acceptable as an interrogative method? What is the role of the judiciary in times of emergency? How do Australia's anti-terrorism laws compare with those of the United Kingdom and New Zealand? How are Australian communities and politics affected by responses to terrorism?"[I] n this book, proponents of the new anti-terrorism laws seek to justify their provisions and opponents argue that the laws go too far. These chapters also show the extent of the changes that have been made to our legal and administrative structures. ... The chapters in this book cannot be dismissed as mere academic analyses. They have to do with the lives and aspirations of all Australians. They ask whether Australia is, and whether it will be, a united, secure, free and confident nation." - Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE, former Chief Justice of Australia

The proliferation in terrorist activity has provoked an increase in the body of law, both at national and international level, which has sought to counter and prevent it. The bodies involved in this process range from the UN Security Council to government legislatures. This book is the first to address, in one volume, the wide variety of responses to terrorism as they exist in both international and domestic contexts. It also represents the first ever comprehensive collection of documents referring to terrorism which are to be found in the laws of the UK and France as well as in international law. Terrorism and International Law comprises contributions by thirteen well-known authorities in the areas of international, French and UK law, and is divided into four main sections: international cooperation against terrorism, the French and British responses to terrorism, the limits of state action and a documentary supplement. The contributors have sought to show how international and domestic law can be used together to combat the multi-faceted problems which terrorism raises. The issue of human rights is also discussed with particular reference to the jurisprudence of the European Commission and Court of Human Rights. The fourth documentary section of the book provides coverage of international treaties, UN resolutions, UK and French legislation, case-law and official statements relating to terrorism. This book provides an invaluable source of commentary and reference material in the area of terrorism and international and domestic law which will be useful for practitioners, diplomats, students and teachers.

Marianne Wade and Almir Maljevi? Although the worries about terrorism paled in comparison to the economic crisis as a topic during the last US election, one can find plenty of grounds to assume that they remain issue number one in the minds of politicians in Europe. As the German houses of Parliament prepare to call in the mediation committee in the discussion of legislation which would provide the Federal Police – thus far mandated purely with the post-facto investigation of crime – with powers to act to prevent acts of terrorism, Spain’s struggle with ETA and the British Government licks its wounds after a resounding defeat of its latest anti-terrorist proposals by the House of Lords, one cannot but wonder whether post 9/11, the Europeans are not even more concerned with terrorism than their US counterparts. A look at media reports, legislative and judicial activities in either Britain or Germany clearly underlines that those two countries are deeply embroiled in anti-terrorist activity. Can it be that Europe is embroiled in the “War on Terror”; constantly providing for new arms in this conflict? Or is it a refusal to participate in the “War on Terror” that fuels a constant need for Parliaments to grapple with the subject; begrudgingly conceding one increasingly draconian measure after the other? The question as to where Europe stands in the “War on Terror” is a fascinating one, but one, which is difficult to answer.

In September 11 Kent Roach provides a critical examination of the consequences of September 11 for law, democracy, sovereignty, and security. He assesses a broad range of anti-terrorism measures including the Anti-terrorism Act, the smart border agreement, Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan, changes to refugee policy, the 2001 Security Budget, and the proposed Public Safety Act. Roach evaluates both the opposition of many civil society groups to the Anti-terrorism Act and the government's defence of the law as necessary to prevent terrorism and consistent with human rights. He warns that exceptions to legal principles made to fight terrorism may spread to attempts to combat other crimes and suggests that Canadian law may not provide adequate protection against invasions of privacy or discriminatory profiling of people as potential terrorists. With reference to controversial comments about September 11 made by Prime Minister Chretien and others and the debate about "anti-Americanism," Roach examines whether September 11 has chilled Canadian democracy. He also examines the challenge September 11 presents for Canadian sovereignty on key components of foreign, military, and immigration policy and the possibility that Canadian Forces participated in violations of international law in Afghanistan. With specific reference to the threat of nuclear and biological terrorism and aviation safety, Roach argues that more emphasis on administrative and technological measures and less emphasis on criminal sanctions and military force may better protect Canadians from both terrorism and other threats to their security.

This book reviews the war on terror since 9/11 from a human rights perspective.

This book provides theoretical and practical guidance to those interested in understanding the dilemmas found at the heart of counter-terror decision-making. It addresses fundamental questions such as: should terror organizations be engaged in the human rights discussion? How can we counter extremist ideology? What is the role social media plays in terrorism?The book compares the practices of different countries to determine if a cohesive approach to counter-terrorism can be achieved. It not only analyses different aspects of terrorism and counter-terrorism (ideology, recruitment, financing, education, support etc) but also explores the roles of the relevant players (courts, security forces, the press, public opinion, inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations etc) and their influence on the measures taken to fight terrorism on the one hand, and safeguarding basic human rights on the other.