Getting away with murder?

Abstract

The themed section, 'Violence of the British state', guest edited by David Whyte, is timely in view of the UK Coalition government's pledge to 'restore the rights of individuals in the face of encroaching state power, in keeping with Britain's tradition of freedom and fairness' (Cabinet Office, 2010). The articles in this issue offer evidence of the enormity of the task at hand. There are past and ongoing injustices at a national and international level that demand wider public scrutiny. The stark accounts of human suffering described are at times harrowing but all illustrate the range of harms permitted under the watch of the British state. © 2010 Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.