Terrorism and the Limitation of Rights

The ECHR and the US Constitution
Erscheinungsjahr 2008
ISBN: 978-1-84113-763-6
Verlag: Bloomsbury 3PL

Buch, Englisch, 472 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 872 g

Reihe: Human Rights Law in Perspective

Taking as a starting point the widely accepted view that states confronted with terrorism must find a proper equilibrium between their respective obligations of preserving fundamental rights and fighting terrorism effectively, this book seeks to demonstrate how the design and enforcement of a human rights instrument may influence the result of that exercise. An attempt is made to answer the question how a legal order's approach to the limitation of rights may shape decision-making trade-offs between the demands of liberty and the need to guarantee individual and collective security. In doing so, special attention is given to the difference between the adjudicative methods of balancing and categorisation. The book challenges the conventional wisdom that individual rights, in times of crisis, are better served by the application of categorical rather than flexible models of limitation. In addition, the work considers the impact of a variety of other factors, including the discrepancies in enforcing an international convention as opposed to a national constitution and the use of emergency provisions permitting derogations from human rights obligations in time of war or a public emergency.
The research questions are addressed through a comparative study of the terrorism-related restrictions on five fundamental rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights and the United States Constitution: the right to freedom of expression, the right to freedom of association, the right to personal liberty, the right to privacy, and the right to a fair trial. The book offers both a theoretical account of the paradoxical relationship between terrorism and human rights and a comprehensive comparative survey of the major decisions of the highest courts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sottiaux, Stefan

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Internationales Recht Internationale Menschen- und Minderheitenrechte, Kinderrechte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Menschenrechte, Bürgerrechte
• Rechtswissenschaften Ausländisches Recht Common Law (UK, USA, Australien u.a.)
• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Europarecht Europäisches Öffentliches Recht (inkl. EMRK)
• Rechtswissenschaften Internationales Recht und Europarecht Internationales Recht Internationales Strafrecht, Internationales Verfahrensrecht
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Gewalt Terrorismus, Religiöser Fundamentalismus
• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein Rechtsvergleichung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Introduction

I. Human Rights and Terrorism

II. Object and Purpose

III. Selection of Human Rights Instruments

IV. Preliminary Conclusions

V. Structure and Methodology

2 The Limitation of Rights under the European Convention and the US Constitution

I. Introduction

II. Balancing and Categorical Methods of Limitation

III. The Limitation of Rights under the European Convention

IV. The Limitation of Rights under the US Constitution

V. Conclusion

3 The Right to Freedom of Expression

I. Introduction

II. The Right to Freedom of Expression: Basic Notions

III. Terrorism as Expressive Conduct

IV. Terrorism-Related Speech

V. Terrorism and the Media

VI. General Conclusion

4 The Right to Freedom of Association

I. Introduction

II. The Right to Freedom of Association: Basic Notions

III. Counter-Terrorism and the Right to Freedom of Association

IV. General Conclusion

5 The Right to Personal Liberty

I. Introduction

II. The Right to Personal Liberty: Basic Notions

III. The Right to Liberty and Counter-Terrorism Measures

IV. Deprivation of Liberty in War and Emergency Situations

V. General Conclusion

6. The Right to Privacy

I. Introduction

II. The Right to Privacy: Basic Notions

III. The Right to Privacy and Counter-Terrorism Measures

IV. General Conclusion

7 The Right to a Fair Trial

I. Introduction

II. The Right to a Fair Trial: Basic Notions

III. The Right to a Fair Trial and Counter-Terrorism Measures

IV. Limitations of the Right to a Fair Trial in War and Emergency Situations

V. General Conclusion

8 Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Stefan Sottiaux is Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Leuven. He is a member of the Brussels bar where he practises constitutional and human rights law.