ABSTRACT
During the first decade of the twenty-first century, a sprawling legal phenomenon arose with long tentacles, as yet full unexplored. Counter-terrorism laws and prosecutions became the most prominent measures directed against crimes that were regarded as threatening the interests of the state itself. Long-standing legal principles, including habeas corpus, the presumption of innocence and freedom of thought and association, were overridden or eroded. Novel concepts, such as ‘preventative’ punishment, offences of ‘praising’ or ‘glorifying’ terrorism (itself defined in broad terms) and detention without trial were introduced.
