(In)security in the Heartland of Liberal Democracy: An Account of Counter-terrorism Laws and Human Rights in the UK

Abstract

The chapter maps out the evolution and interplay of human rights and Counter-terrorism policies in the UK context. The changes in these policy fields are explicated in light of key events such as 9/11 and London bombings in 2005, international trends and obligations under international institutions. It begins with an account of the Human Rights Acts and UK’s perturbed relationship with the European Court of Human Rights, moving on to elaborate the evolving nature of Counter-terrorism policies. The chapter concludes by arguing that unlike the previous experience with Irish Republican Army (IRA), the new global form of terrorism is perceived as involving an enemy that is ‘existentially different’ and undeserving of basic rights. These measures have tended to focus on the ideological dimension, such as monitoring ‘extremism’ and ‘propaganda’, leading to the spillover of such security policies to educational institutions as well as peaceful public demonstrations. Despite recent modifications in the face of domestic and international criticisms, newly introduced provisions have normalized the problem inherent in their predecessors, namely the treatment of suspects outside of criminal procedures, as threats to be contained. The interplay between security and rights in the evolution of these policies illustrate the contesting manifestations of sovereignty.