European Union Law by Alina Kaczorowska
| Date | 01 May 2009 |
| Published date | 01 May 2009 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.2009.00755_3.x |
| Author | Thomas Schomerus |
Criminalizing Thought?’ in A. Lynch, E. MacDonald and G.Williams (eds), Law
and Liberty in the War onTerror, Federation Press, 2007).
The broader point is that human rights lawyers are divided about including
motive elements in terrorism de¢nitions and the division illustrates the complex-
ity of making judgments about the necessity and proportionality of measures
a¡ecting non-discrimination norms. Since anti-terrorism powers frequently
hinge o¡ terrorism de¢nitions, the possibility of discrimination existing at the
heart of the legal enterprise to regulate terrorism ought to be considered in this
book. That omission should not, however, detract from what is a magni¢cent
piece of scholarly research, and one which stands head and shoulders above the
majority of books on terrorism since 9/11.
Ben Saul
n
Alina Kaczorowska, European Union Law,Oxford: Routledge-Cavendish, 2008,
1152 p p, pb d25.99.
Considering the many textbooks on EuropeanUnion Law, one could be excused
for expecting this workto be just one more on the market. Alina Kaczorowska’s
EuropeanUnionLaw,however, sets itselfapart from therest. It not onlyanalyses the
existing European legal situation but also covers the aspects of European history,
politics and economy that helped to produce it. Few are able to o¡er such insight
on European issues and the author’s multi-national background is demonstrated
on almost every page. It becomes obvious that the book is a life’s work, written
with care and depth. By embedding legal development in cultural history, the
book allows the reader to re-trace the developmental steps of European Union
Law.Although as an experton European law it mightbe assumed that the author
might be in favour of European uni¢cation, Kaczorowska objective presentation
of the facts allows the reader to form his or herown opinion.
Chapter 1 presents a well-informed view of European history. It starts by describ-
ing the appalling experience of the SecondWorldWar as the starting point for a new
European order, and ends with a description of the recent abandonment of the
planned European Constitution.This text is perhaps the ¢rst to award theTreatyof
Lisbon a full chapter. Kaczorowska’s transparent manner of explaining the contents of
this treaty in Chapter 2 is aided by reference to the arguments of both Euro-sceptics
and advocates of European integration. That the book is absolutely up-to-date is
demonstrated in Chapter 3, which deals with the expanding membership of the EU.
Chapter 4, whichdeal s with EUcompetencies, introduces the main legal body of
the book.The central principles of the EU ^ eg why it is neither a federation nor a
confederation ^ are here clearly explained. Chapter 5 analyses the EU’s institutional
framework.The se issues can be ratherdry, but Kaczorowska succeeds in making the
topic interesting by using, for example, an in-depth analysis of the EU Commis-
sioner’s conduct referring to the Cresson case. The same is true of the next chapter,
which concerns EU legislation.The complicated co-decision procedure of Article
n
Faculty of Law,University of Sydney.
Reviews
517
r2009 The Authors. Journal Compilationr20 09 The Modern LawReview Limited.
(2009) 72(3) 507^518
To continue reading
Request your trial