Back to publications
Research Paper

The Role of the Military in Securing Suspects and Evidence in the Prosecution of Terrorism Cases before Civilian Courts: Legal and Practical Challenges

26 May 2015

Notwithstanding the fact that civil authorities are usually involved in the investigation and prosecution of terrorist crimes, reality on the ground often leads to a different situation. Indeed, the military may be called upon to carry out law enforcement activities when embedded in situations characterised by conflict, high risk level of threat and/or a lack of local civil capacity. In this Research Paper, the role of the military when performing law enforcement activities in terms of collecting evidence and/or securing suspected terrorists is analysed. Dr. Bibi van Ginkel and Dr. Christophe Paulussen point out that past experiences, for instance from counter-piracy operations and evidence-based operations, may provide some guidance for future cases.

Read the Executive Summary.

Read the full Research Paper.


How to cite: Ginkel, B. van and C. Paulussen. "The Role of the Military in Securing Suspects and Evidence in the Prosecution of Terrorism Cases before Civilian Courts: Legal and Practical Challenges", The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague 6, no. 4 (2015).

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19165/2015.1.04