The first decade of the twenty-first century has seen an extraordinary decline in respect for human rights and the international rule of law throughout the West. Illegal wars, the secret rendition and illegal detention of terror suspects, the failure to honour the international refugee convention through the mandatory detention or forced return of asylum-seekers, anti-sedition legislation, and secretive and draconian anti-terror laws all seem to have become permanent features of the post 9/11 world.

Watching Brief: reflections on human rights, law, and justice is an impassioned and eloquent appeal for vigilance in an era in which ‘national security’ trumps democratic principle, where the legal conventions of the new realpolitik owe more to Guantanamo than Geneva, and where the rule of law and the principle that basic respect is owed to all human beings are being dangerously undermined.

Julian will launch his book in conversation with Anna Funder, author of Stasiland: True Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall. Gleebooks are hosting the event, and tickets can can be purchased from them on (02) 9660 2333 or by registering online.