ABSTRACT
It is beyond the scope of this present work to examine in any detail the powers to suppress political dissent and other perceived threats to the state that arise under emergency legislation. Nor can this volume deal with the even more arbitrary measures involved in declarations of martial law. Only a brief reference can be made to another issue: governments have also been known to resort to lawless actions, such as assassinations, renditions, torture, reprisals and military or paramilitary violence.
