Kirjahaku

In the first half of the 1980s a succession of high profile and deeply controversial trials took place in Northern Ireland on the evidence of `supergrasses' from loyalist and republican paramilitary organisations prepared to betray large numbers of their former alleged confederates in return for immunity from prosecution or lenient sentences and new identities outside Northern Ireland. This, the first thoroughly-researched book-length study of this process, not only carefully documents the central trials - some of which were larger than any other criminal proceedings in the UK or Ireland - but also opens a rare window on the highly secret world of the terrorist groups concerned. The origins of the supergrass system are traced through the complex web of intelligence gathering and counter-terrorist policy in Northern Ireland, and the broader criminal justice and criminological issues are fully explored. The author also compares and contrasts the failure of the supergrass experiment in Northern Ireland with its much more successful counterparts in England, the United States, Italy and Germany, and considers why France and Spain chose not to go down the supergrass path. The publication of this book could hardly be more timely. Northern Ireland is once again at the top of the political agenda in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the recent ceasefires have ensured that the Troubles are the focus of renewed international attention. The need for strong due process rights in the criminal justice system as part of an overall settlement of the Ulster conflict is firmly underlined, and the study adds further support to the case for more effective mechanisms of public accountability over policing and intelligence-gathering in liberal democracies generally.

This book critically appraises the European Convention on Human Rights as it faces some daunting challenges. It argues that the Convention's core functions have subtly changed, particularly since the ending of the Cold War, and that these are now to articulate an 'abstract constitutional model' for the entire continent, and to promote convergence in the operation of public institutions at every level of governance. The implications - from national compliance, to European international relations, including the adjudication of disputes by the European Court of Human Rights - are fully explored. As the first book-length socio-legal examination of the Convention's principal achievements and failures, this study not only blends legal and social science scholarship around the theme of constitutionalization, but also offers a coherent set of policy proposals which both address the current case-management crisis and suggest ways forward neglected by recent reforms.

This book critically appraises the European Convention on Human Rights as it faces some daunting challenges. It argues that the Convention's core functions have subtly changed, particularly since the ending of the Cold War, and that these are now to articulate an 'abstract constitutional model' for the entire continent, and to promote convergence in the operation of public institutions at every level of governance. The implications - from national compliance, to European international relations, including the adjudication of disputes by the European Court of Human Rights - are fully explored. As the first book-length socio-legal examination of the Convention's principal achievements and failures, this study not only blends legal and social science scholarship around the theme of constitutionalization, but also offers a coherent set of policy proposals which both address the current case-management crisis and suggest ways forward neglected by recent reforms.

In September 2001, the world witnessed the horrific events of 9/11. A great deal has happened on the counterterrorist front in the 20 years since. While the terrorist threat has greatly diminished in Northern Ireland, the events of 9/11 and their aftermath have ushered in a new phase for the rest of the UK with some familiar, but also many novel, characteristics.This ambitious study takes stock of counterterrorism in Britain in this anniversary year. Assessing current challenges, and closely mirroring the ‘four Ps’ of the official CONTEST counterterrorist strategy – Protect, Prepare, Prevent, and Pursue – it seeks to summarize and grasp the essence of domestic law and policy, without being burdened by excessive technical detail. It also provides a rigorous, context-aware, illuminating, yet concise, accessible, and policy-relevant analysis of this important and controversial subject, grounded in relevant social science, policy studies, and legal scholarship.This book will be an important resource for students and scholars in law and social science, as well as human rights, terrorism, counterterrorism, security, and conflict studies.

In September 2001, the world witnessed the horrific events of 9/11. A great deal has happened on the counterterrorist front in the 20 years since. While the terrorist threat has greatly diminished in Northern Ireland, the events of 9/11 and their aftermath have ushered in a new phase for the rest of the UK with some familiar, but also many novel, characteristics.This ambitious study takes stock of counterterrorism in Britain in this anniversary year. Assessing current challenges, and closely mirroring the ‘four Ps’ of the official CONTEST counterterrorist strategy – Protect, Prepare, Prevent, and Pursue – it seeks to summarize and grasp the essence of domestic law and policy, without being burdened by excessive technical detail. It also provides a rigorous, context-aware, illuminating, yet concise, accessible, and policy-relevant analysis of this important and controversial subject, grounded in relevant social science, policy studies, and legal scholarship.This book will be an important resource for students and scholars in law and social science, as well as human rights, terrorism, counterterrorism, security, and conflict studies.

In 2020, Steven Greer, an internationally-renowned human rights scholar, was falsely and publicly accused of Islamophobia by the University of Bristol Islamic Society (BRISOC). In July 2021, he was officially exonerated without equivocation or reservation from all of BRISOC's allegations. Nevertheless, the University of Bristol, cancelled the Islam, China and the Far East module of his human rights course just as BRISOC demanded. In an almost unbelievable twist of fate, in January 2022 Professor Greer was appointed the first Visiting Research Fellow, and later Research Director, at the Oxford Institute for British Islam, a newly established progressive Muslim think tank and research academy. In this book, Greer documents his struggle to avoid physical harm, resist dismissal, salvage his reputation and career, maintain his livelihood, regain the trust and respect of his colleagues, and counter betrayal by the very institutions he had every right to expect would leap to his defense. His inspirational story will encourage many others to take a similar stand for free inquiry and debate in an age of cruel, shameless, unaccountable, and groundless censorship, vilification, and victimization.

In 2020, Steven Greer, an internationally-renowned human rights scholar, was falsely and publicly accused of Islamophobia by the University of Bristol Islamic Society (BRISOC). In July 2021, he was officially exonerated without equivocation or reservation from all BRISOC's allegations. Nevertheless, the University of Bristol, cancelled the Islam, China and the Far East module of his human rights course just as BRISOC demanded. In an almost unbelievable twist of fate, in January 2022 Professor Greer was appointed the first Visiting Research Fellow, and later Research Director, at the Oxford Institute for British Islam, a newly established progressive Muslim think tank and research academy.In this book, Greer documents his struggle to avoid physical harm, resist dismissal, salvage his reputation and career, maintain his livelihood, regain the trust and respect of his colleagues, and counter betrayal by the very institutions he had every right to expect would leap to his defense. His inspirational story will encourage many others to take a similar stand for free inquiry and debate in an age of cruel, shameless, unaccountable, and groundless censorship, vilification, and victimization.

Tackling prejudice, hatred, and discrimination is both laudable and necessary. However, in Britain and elsewhere, this noble cause has spawned a much less worthy corollary – the assumption that no criticism of Muslims or Islam should be tolerated. This has resulted in false accusations of ‘Islamophobia’, excessive fear of being denounced as an Islamophobe, and censorship of lawful expression which all free societies should unflinchingly defend. In this trailblazing book the history of the debate about the faith, the essentials of its mainstream interpretation, the principal dissenting Muslim perspectives, recent British proposals about how to address anti-Muslim prejudice, plus relevant legal and human rights frameworks, are expertly examined. Some proposals are also offered about how the chilling of legitimate debate in this field might be remedied.