Resolving the Definitional Quagmire of Terrorism and Providing Guidance to States

Abstract

The study examined the definition of terrorism from the early years to the modern day. The study analyzed the attempts at definitions of terrorism at international law, other definitions in international relations and scholarly definitions. The study aimed at solving the problem of definition of terrorism, particularly the widely acclaimed notion that there is no precise definition of terrorism. The importance of having a definition is to know what exactly to fight, the appropriate penalties for such acts and to ensure that all violent acts are not subsumed under terrorism. The study revealed that international law had provided a guidance as to what the definition of terrorism should be. This guidance could be gleaned from the various instruments of the United Nations, other definitions in international relations and scholarly definitions. The study concluded that the common elements of terrorism from the attempts at definition at international law could form a consensual definition and serve as a foundation for States to build upon in defining acts of terrorism in domestic laws.