Author : Anthony W. Pereira
Publisher : University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN 13 : 0822972832
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (229 download)
Book Synopsis Political (In)Justice by : Anthony W. Pereira
Download or read book Political (In)Justice written by Anthony W. Pereira and published by University of Pittsburgh Press. This book was released on 2005-10-23 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do attempts by authoritarian regimes to legalize their political repression differ so dramatically? Why do some dispense with the law altogether, while others scrupulously modify constitutions, pass new laws, and organize political trials? Political (In)Justice answers these questions by comparing the legal aspects of political repression in three recent military regimes: Brazil (1964-1985); Chile (1973-1990); and Argentina (1976-1983). By focusing on political trials as a reflection of each regime's overall approach to the law, Anthony Pereira argues that the practice of each regime can be explained by examining the long-term relationship between the judiciary and the military. Brazil was marked by a high degree of judicial-military integration and cooperation; Chile's military essentially usurped judicial authority; and in Argentina, the military negated the judiciary altogether. Pereira extends the judicial-military framework to other authoritarian regimes—Salazar's Portugal, Hitler's Germany, and Franco's Spain—and a democracy (the United States), to illuminate historical and contemporary aspects of state coercion and the rule of law.