Preface and Acknowlegdments

• Author: Craig Forcese
• Profession: Faculty of Law, Common Law. University of Ottawa
• Pages: 27-29

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PREFACE AND

ACK NOW LED GME NTS

In 2000, I noticed in the library of the Yale Law School a relatively slim

volume on U.S. national security law. This was a topic I have never

seriously considered substantial enough in Ca nada to justify a book-

length treatment. I was w rong.

For several years, I have taught a sem inar course on international,

Canadian and comparative national secur ity law at t he University of

Ottawa’s law school. That course constitutes my effort to grapple with

the immen sity of the events of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath.

Like many others, I have been tor n between the need to respond deci-

sively to the horrors of that day — spent in my case, in a Washington

law off‌ice three blocks from the White House — and a growing dis-

comfort wit h the actions taken by some governments i n the name of

counterterrorism. That tension — the need for action without overreac-

tion — drives the perspect ive I have brought to this book.

This work is part of Irwi n Law’s “Essential s of Canadian L aw” ser-

ies. It is intended, therefore, as a handbook and a digest of national

security law, as practised in Canada and informed by internationa l and

comparative law. It is not a theoretical work and it does not try to draw

general conclusions about national security law or its utility. Nor does

it present a sustained cr itique of this area of the law.

It is not possible, however, to be entirely clinic al about many of the

issues addressed in th is volume — among them war, terrorism, torture

and detention without trial. I have found it necessary, therefore, to graft

critical asse ssment onto description in several places. For the most part,

I have distinguished these two objectives w ith headings a nd subhead-

ings. I have also judged it proper to f‌lag key dilemmas and cha llenges