Legal aspects of aviation security measures taken at airports

Aviation and the internet are two conveniences without which the modern world would almost grind to a halt given our current dependence levels (on them). If both were to suddenly vanish, mankind would be thrown back to the late 19th century reminiscent of a world which was once a smaller place.Aviation plays a critical role in our daily life transporting man and material over vast distances in a relatively short period of time. A vital cog in this wheel is the airport that 'facilitates' the safe loading, unloading, take-off and landing of aircraft.For some time now, aircraft have been the target of various terrorist groups and militant factions seeking to make a point to the world in the most dramatic fashion possible. To maintain the security of civil aviation, laws have been promulgated (both nationally and internationally) to ensure that the perpetrators (of the crime) when caught, will be adequately punished and in a manner that will deter others from committing crimes against civil aviation. However this law-making process (in large part initiated by the International Civil Aviation Organization) has not sufficiently addressed airports and the security therein.This paper seeks to examine---and in some cases suggest improvements to---aviation security laws at large, with a specific emphasis on airports. It is believed that a more comprehensive set of laws governing aviation security would result in greater efficacy of airport security procedures thus reducing the need for prospective judicial intervention and concomitant lengthy court proceedings