Human Rights and their Limitations: The Role of Proportionality

FLJS Annual Lecture in Law & Society, held in association with the Law Faulty and Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford

Thursday 4 June 2009

Rhodes House, Oxford

Aharon Barak at the lectern
Aharon Barak, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel

In this Annual Lecture, Aharon Barak outlines his theory of proportionality as a means to reaching the appropriate balance between security and the safeguarding of human rights.

Barak, who is regarded by some legal scholars as the world's greatest living jurist, cites his experience adjudicating cases on family unification, the construction of the separation fence, and authorized torture, to argue for a broad level of judicial discretion, while cautioning against excessive use of executive power during threats to national security.

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