Counter-terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice - by Genevieve Lennon & Colin King & Carole McCartney (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The purpose of this book is to honour the influential and wide-ranging work of Professor Clive Walker. It explores Professor Walker's influence from three perspectives. Firstly, it provides a historical reflection upon the development of the law and policy in relation to counter-terrorism and miscarriages of justice since the 1970s. This historical perspective, which is often overlooked, is particularly timely 17 years after 9/11 as trends become clearer and historical perspective even more valuable. So too with miscarriages of justice: while there was considerable public and political scrutiny following high-profile miscarriages such as the Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, and others, in the early 1990s, today there is much less scrutiny, despite significant concern relating to issues such as legal aid and access to justice increasing the potential (if not likelihood) for miscarriages to occur. By including a critical historical perspective, this book enables us to learn lessons from the past and to minimise contemporary risks of miscarriages of justice. Secondly, this book provides a critical analysis of the law and policy as it stands today, and its future trajectory. Applying Walker's theoretical and analytical contributions to the field, the authors focus on pressing contemporary concerns, identifying lacunae where relevant, as well as the possible, probable and preferable future trends. Finally, the book celebrates and recognises the significant contributions by Walker, with each chapter built around one or more of Walker's key works.

Review Quotes

In this rich collection, the towering contribution of Professor Clive Walker to the intersecting fields of counter-terrorism, miscarriages of justice and civil liberties is not only acknowledged and celebrated, but supplies the bedrock for a thoroughly contemporary examination of the challenges in each. Walker's own research has always been distinguished by his deep appreciation of history and context, so it should not surprise that these chapters benefit from a similar engagement with the operation of political and legal institutions, intelligence agencies and the police. There are no easy answers to the questions which Walker has asked over his career - but this collection in his honour illuminates the complexity of those questions in ways that will inform, stimulate and guide all who read it.

Professor Clive Walker ... deserves the tribute of this highly informed and important book. Its last chapter, his own retrospective, is absolutely required reading. The other chapters inform and sometimes provoke, covering the entire range of counter-terrorism issues, including strategy, definitions and governance, exclusion, terrorist speech and miscarriages of justice. That such an international and stellar group of authors has contributed is its own tribute. All who are interested in the subject must read this book.

Professor Clive Walker is one of the greatest legal scholars of our time. His work on counterterrorist law and policy has shaped the field not just in Ireland and the United Kingdom, but in Australia, Canada, the United States, and across the globe. This festschrift brings together some of the leading scholars who have been part of this conversation, reading like a who's who of counterterrorist law. In so doing, it is itself an important contribution to the continued challenges of responding to terrorism while recognizing the fundamental importance of individual rights, justice, and the rule of law.

About the Author

Genevieve Lennon is Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Strathclyde.
Colin King is Reader in Law at the University of Sussex.
Carole McCartney is a Professor in the School of Law at Northumbria University.