The Rule of Law and Terrorism

The relevance of the present volume on terrorism and the rule of law is constantly and unavoidably around us. The authors first seek to identify theoretical considerations and their practical implications starting with broad social and legal science concepts that boil down to legislation and decision-making. Next the book’s focus narrows down to Europe first, and to the European Union and the European Court of Justice later. Finally, a Hungarian case-study is included to illustrate the points that have been addressed in the theoretical chapters.

Identifying EU counter-terrorism law is not an easy endeavor. It is multidisciplinary, inspired by constitutional, criminal and administrative law and security studies. The EU’s multi-layered structure, the absence of its coercive powers and the necessary reliance on its Member States not sharing a uniform opinion only complicate things further. Nevertheless these have not prevented the EU from having a significant impact in the field of anti-terrorism. It is against this background that the authors made an intelligent attempt to re-imagine anti-terrorist legislation that may contribute to the deepening of an ever closer community based on shared values, including the rule of law and a fundamental rights culture.