Abstract
While watching the movie “in the name of the father”, I was like everyone else, I assume, was deeply moved and overwhelmed by the gravity of the miscarriage of justice and police force abuses of which the protagonists were victim. However, what chocked me the most was the fact that this dramatic miscarriage of justice seemed to be the direct result of legislative measures. In fact, the director puts forward the link between the application of ‘the prevention of terrorism act' law, and the arrest, the physical and psychological violence imposed by the police officers, the false confessions, and last but not least the prison sentence of innocents. This is illustrated, for example, by the fact that the arrests occurred only two days after the law mentioned above took effect. Moreover, while watching the movie, I also felt that the powers conferred to the authorities by this law, were of such importance that it was obvious that such misappropriations and abuses would follow. Besides, 30 years latter, this shameful event still seems to be topical, considering the number of recent measures regarding counter-terrorism and the intense debates they call for on their potential danger on civil liberties and human rights.
