Conclusion

Abstract

The preceding chapters illustrate both the differences and similarities that exist among a diverse range of states in the realm of public order policing. Conflict is, of course, an endemic feature of all societies, but the causes and expressions of conflict vary. However, what unites our chosen countries is their imperative need to maintain internal order. How this need is met, by whom it is satisfied, and the extent to which it is fulfilled provide telling indicators of the quality of the relationship between state and society. The focus on the issue of public order is particularly instructive since it affords insights into the values, rules and procedures that underpin the distinction between legal and illegal protest.