Liberty and terrorism - A very fine line

THE conflict between individual liberties and measures needed to protect society are hardly ever resolved to universal satisfaction.

This dilemma is the basis for an Amnesty report which warns that new European counter-terrorism measures are “draconian” and are “undermining fundamental freedoms”.

The weight of that argument and the difficulties of policing “Europe’s constant state of emergency” must be set against the unfortunate reality that these measures certainly, but hopefully just occasionally, encroach on individual freedoms — which are every different from individual rights.

In a world where an individual can become a mass murderer by driving a truck through a Christmas market or using an automatic weapon in a crowded nightclub, a hardening of attitudes is inevitable.

However, this crackdown must always be balanced by legislation that ensures innocent individuals are protected by the courts.

This was always a very fine line to hold and in today’s world, where terrorists seem ever more violent and ambitious, it is increasingly so.