Civil Liberties

This book traces the origins of the term 'civil liberties', unpicking its various layers of meaning and explaining what it has come to mean today. It provides a fresh, clear, and stimulating approach to civil liberties by tying the law and practice of the subject firmly to democratic and political rights. The author examines the key civil liberties of our democratic age: the right to vote; the rights to life, liberty, and security of the person; and the freedoms of thought, conscience, expression, association, and assembly. He also discusses the contemporary challenges that civil liberties face including globalization, the war on terror, and issues of European law on criminal justice and security. Gearty argues that the protection of civil liberties is a vital front in the struggle to preserve political freedom and that a proper understanding of and commitment to civil liberties has never been more important.

About the Author:
Conor Gearty is Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights and Professor of Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science