22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik massacred 77 people in a terrorist attack commonly referred to in Norway as '22 July'. The State responded with a rule of law approach to rebuild societal security. Yet beyond the criminal trial, the legal responses, including bureaucratic practices and regulatory techniques, have not been researched.
To enhance future preparedness and public accountability, this knowledge gap must be bridged. Asking 'what is the role of legal responses in rebuilding and strengthening societal security after violent extremist attacks', this interdisciplinary, qualitative project develops a conceptual and empirical basis for exploring the legal ripple effects of 22 July, implicating multiple fields of public and private law. A study of responses to terror attacks in Manchester in 1992, 1996 and 2017 provides a comparative frame.
The project is developed around three themes:
- Urban security: The role of law in the reconstruction of post-terrorismspace and the securitization of urban space and urban life
- Citizenship and rights: The role of welfare provision (livelihood/compensation) as contributors to societal security and resilience
- Rule of law: political economy, societal security, and the resilience of the rule of law
RIPPLES will produce systematic knowledge about the legal aspects of 22 July and Manchester terror, and support policy makers and legal practitioners by providing knowledge about law's role in societal security after extremist violence. Through documentation, dissemination to the public, and communication with a broad array of stakeholders the project will contribute to public accountability and to SDG 11, 16.3 and 16.A.
The project contributes to societal security scholarship by integrating critical security studies, socio-legal studies, and doctrinal law. The transdisciplinary and international nature of the project will strengthen the portfolios of participating institutions. The inclusion of funding for PhD work and MAs will contribute to capacity building. LAW22JULY is a UiO law faculty initiative to provide knowledge to the Norwegian public and our students. The pedagogic component of RIPPLES will have long-lasting relevance for legal and societal security education.
- Project website at the University of Oslo: Follow this link
