Torture, Terrorism, and the State: A Refutation of the Ticking-Bomb Argument

Abstract

It should not come as a surprise that human rights are among the first casualties in the War on Terrorism.^1,2,3 Yet recent policy proposals in the fight against terrorism are threatening to take human rights violations to a level until recently unimaginable. In the corridors of the White House, and perhaps behind the doors in Downing Street, arguments have begun to surface that in certain extreme cases the use of torture may be justified, and therefore ought to be legalized.