Cambridge University Press Human Rights in Emergencies (ASIL Studies in International Legal Theory)

Public emergencies such as civil wars, natural disasters, and economic crises test the theoretical and practical commitments of international human rights law. During national crises, international law permits states to suspend many human rights protections in order to safeguard national security. States frequently overstep the limits of this authority, violating even peremptory human rights such as the prohibitions against torture and prolonged arbitrary detention. In this volume, leading scholars from law, philosophy and political science grapple with challenging questions concerning the character, scope, and salience of international human rights, and they explain how the law seeks to protect human rights during emergencies. The contributors also evaluate the law's successes and failures, and offer new proposals for strengthening respect for human rights. Book Description This book examines current debates about how international human rights law regulates national authorities and international institutions during emergencies. About the Author Evan J. Criddle is Professor of Law at William and Mary Law School, Virginia, where he specializes in public international law, international legal theory, human rights, fiduciary law and administrative law.