Democratic countries are increasingly controlled by economic interests rather than by the rule of law. Charting the protesters and social movements "illegality" opposing authority this volume argues that they should be, nevertheless, considered the defenders of law and order. It is these social forces that represent the legitimate self-defense against corporate breaches of human rights condoned by their governments.

Laura Westra, Ph.D. (1982) in Philosophy, University of Toronto, and Ph.D. (2005) in Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, currently teaches environmental law at the University of Windsor, international law at the University of Milano (Bicocca). She has published twenty-nine monographs and collections on environmental justice and human rights issues and international law, and over 85 articles and chapters.