Minorities and Counter-Terrorism Law

In: European yearbook of minority issues, Volume 15, Issue 1, p. 1-22

Abstract

Members of minority groups have historically been both victims and perpetrators of terrorism. This article examines how international and national legal controls on terrorism have addressed or impacted upon members of minority groups. In particular, it identifies three key areas in which legal questions arise: (1) the extent to which terrorism laws protect minorities (which is principally a question of the definition of terrorism, particularly 'motive' elements); (2) how terrorism laws apply to—or exempt—members of minorities who perpetrate terrorism (which concerns both definition and exceptions to definitions); and (3) how counter-terrorism laws differentially or disproportionately impact on minorities (which concerns definition as well as over-policing).