1st Edition
Criminalising Dissent Lèse-majesté and the Path to Autocracy
Introduction; 1. A History of Lèse-majesté; 2. Theory and Practice of Lèse-majesté in Europe; 3. Lèse-majesté in the Former Turkish Criminal Code; 4. Lèse-majesté in the Current Turkish Criminal Code; 5. Lèse-majesté in International Human Rights Law; 6. Conclusion
Biography
Aytekin Kaan Kurtul is Lecturer in Law at the University of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
`Long shrouded in legal obscurity ─ like a royal enigma few dare to question ─ lèse-majesté laws finally receive the encyclopaedic treatment they deserve. With a compelling legal and historical analysis of Turkey’s case, this eloquent book traces their evolution from Ancient Rome to modernity ─ a gem for constitutional and criminal scholars.'
Uladzislau Belavusau, T.M.C. Asser Institute, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
`Criminalising Dissent provides a comprehensive and compelling analysis of the contemporary misuse and abuse of lèse-majesté laws, highlighting their past and present role in autocratic consolidation processes. Kurtul’s examination of Turkey serves as a stark warning for liberal democracies amid growing threats to their integrity if not their very existence.'
Laurent Pech, Dean of Law and Head of the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland
`Kurtul’s multilingual, multifaceted analysis of lèse-majesté offers exceptional historical insight and a fresh perspective on the contemporary human rights implications of political offences, notably children accused of “defaming the President”. Criminalising Dissent thus promises to become an indispensable reference for legal scholars and researchers across disciplines examining autocratisation in Turkey.'
David Keane, Associate Professor in Law, Dublin City University, Ireland
