Dinesson, Kajsa Elisabeth orcid.org/0000-0001-5029-7883 and Soliman, Francesca (2024) Decriminalising terror:for a zemiology of counterterrorism. Justice Power and Resistance. ISSN 2635-2338
Abstract
Over the past two decades, UK counterterrorism efforts have involved contentious legal and social measures aimed at preventing harm and increasing security. Critical scholars argue that these measures narrowly define security, risk, and harm, failing to recognise intervention itself as a potential threat to individuals and communities. Despite significant critical research, the legitimacy of the criminal justice model of counterterrorism persists in criminological scholarship. This article uses zemiology, the study of social harm, to critique contemporary counterterrorism’s impact. It employs UK counterterrorism as its case study, highlighting its ‘security first’ approach and its narrow definition of public interest. Three key arguments are advanced: first, counterterrorism is not an exceptional extension of criminal law but a form of hybrid governance; second, viewing this governance through a crime-centric lens obscures the harms of criminalisation and overlooks non-criminalised politically-motivated violence; third, examining counterterrorism through a social harm lens allows for a focus on social and racial structures, rather than state-defined categories of harm. The social harm perspective challenges the conceptualisation of terrorism as a crisis justifying exceptional measures, highlighting instead counterterrorism’s broader social impact. The zemiological approach highlights the role of law, not just as source of protection, but also as a means of repression and state violence, emphasising state accountability and providing a framework for identifying and preventing social harm. This perspective centres the broader implications of counterterrorism policies on social structures and racial dynamics, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of security and harm.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Authors 2024 |
Keywords: | counter-terrorism policy,Zemiology,hybrid governance,harm,security |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > The York Law School |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 29 Oct 2024 01:10 |
Last Modified: | 11 Jan 2025 00:10 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1332/26352338Y2024D000000032 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1332/26352338Y2024D000000032 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:218964 |
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