Refugees, Asylum Seekers and the Rule of Law: Comparative Perspectives

Contributors to this volume examine how the legislative, executive and administrative arms of government have responded to issues concerning the rights and status of refugees and asylum seekers in five common law jurisdictions: the UK, Australia, Canada, the USA and New Zealand.

Who and what determines the legislative agenda in this context? Is the legislative agenda driven by the legislators or by the executive? Where does the ‘community’ fit into this picture? Together the essays explain the international context for the responses of the jurisdictions, evaluate the responses from a human rights perspective and assess the integrity and coherency of legal responses as shown by their impact on the rule of law.

• Overview of topic explains the international context, leading to a deeper understanding of the issues
• Individual chapters are written by experts on each jurisdiction, but the ideas in each were discussed prior to writing and thus there is a consistent and coherent treatment
• Discusses both North America and the EU, stimulating the reader to think more deeply about the interaction between national and international law