Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

Brian S. MacNamara

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was enacted by Congress in 1996. Its stated goals are to “deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and other purposes.” The AEDPA attempts to accomplish these objectives by reforming habeas corpus relief; providing tough, new penalties for terrorist activities; and improving alien removal procedures. In the 1990s, international terrorism became a major concern during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Events such as the bombings of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in April 1995; the Olympic park in Atlanta, Georgia, in July 1996; and the World Trade Center in New York City in February 1993; as well as the crash of TWA Flight 800 in July 1996 created apprehensions that terrorism was becoming rampant. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s effectively dissipated the threat of communism: fear of terrorism took ...

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