Do Counter-Terrorism Laws Protect or Undermine Human Rights?

Do Counter-Terrorism Laws Protect or Undermine Human Rights?

From The Breakfast Grille by BFM Media

June 8, 2026 · 23 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of counter-terrorism laws on human rights with Prof. Ben Saul.

According to the latest Global Terrorism Index, the world is a safer place than it was 10 years ago, with overall terrorist attacks on a declining trend. But the positive trend belies a damaging pattern of states using counter-terrorism as justification for actions that violate international human rights, including in conflicts that are unfolding in the Middle East today. We discuss the real-world implications of inherent tensions between security and liberty with Prof. Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Prof. Ben Saul

Topics covered

  • counter-terrorism
  • human rights
  • security
  • liberty
  • international law
  • Middle East conflicts

Keywords

  • counter-terrorism
  • human rights
  • security
  • liberty
  • Global Terrorism Index
  • Middle East

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UN, Global Terrorism Index

Places: Middle East

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