A History of Political Trials: From Charles I to Charles Taylor - Paperback

by John Laughland (Author)

The modern use of international tribunals to try heads of state for genocide and crimes against humanity is often considered a positive development. In A History of Political Trials, John Laughland shows that trials of heads of state are in fact not new, and that previous trials throughout history have themselves violated the law and due process.

Author Biography

John Laughland is Director of Studies at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris. Having studied at Oxford, where he also completed a doctorate, he has taught at universities in Paris and Rome. He has published several books including The Tainted Source: The Undemocratic Origins of the European Idea (1997), Travesty: The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic and the Corruption of International Justice (2007) and Schelling versus Hegel, from German Idealism to Christian Metaphysics (2008). He is a regular commentator on international affairs on television and in the press.