Extrajudicial Killings and the Changing World Order

This book examines the phenomenon of state-sanctioned killings in situations exceeding conventional law and order thresholds. Through a comparative study of four states - India, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States - it analyses whether states fulfil their fundamental purpose of protecting human life or operate as perpetrators of violence. The discussion addresses a significant paradox: despite the establishment of an UN-led international legal order, there has been an incremental increase in human lives lost to armed violence, raising important questions about state accountability and the protection of fundamental rights.The book provides systematic analysis of municipal laws governing the right to life and state powers to take life, offering detailed inter se comparisons across the four nations. It examines how international law conceptualizes the right to life and compares these norms with corresponding provisions in domestic legal systems, identifying critical gaps and inconsistencies. The volume addresses the contemporary transformation of international legal frameworks, particularly with the emergence of non-state actors such as international and transnational terror organizations.This volume will be of interest to students and researchers in human rights, law and civil liberties, politics and international relations, security and strategic studies, conflict resolution, global governance, socio-legal studies, political studies, development studies, and social work.