Terrorism, Rights and the Rule of Law

Barry Vaughan

The rule of law is becoming a victim of the struggle against terrorism. Many countries are reviewing their security procedures and questioning whether due process rights hinder them in the 'war on terror'. There is increasing emphasis on preventive detention or strategies of disablement that cut into the liberties of suspects who may not have committed a crime. The focus of this book is the Republic of Ireland, where the risk of political violence has constantly threatened the Irish state. To ensure its survival, the state has resorted to emergency laws that weaken due process rights. The effects of counter-terrorism campaigns upon the rule of law governing criminal justice in Ireland are a central feature of this book. Globalization has supported this crossover, as organized crime seems immune to conventional policing tactics. But globalization fragments the authority of the state by...