This study of the famous political trials of the 1970s in South Africa traces the extraordinary steps by which the now dismantled system of apartheid sought to employ the legal sanctions to prosecute its campaign against its opponents.

Arguing that the political trial was perhaps the only venue where white ideology had to engage directly with black protest, this original and thought-provoking account demonstrates how the trials became platforms for competing views of society and politics, which give a unique insight into the conflict between the political ideals held by blacks and whites in this era. It also reveals how large a part politics played in securing the conviction of many dissenters, and how large a part events beyond the courtroom played, in the detention and torture of many activists.

Introduction
1. The Growth of Black Consciousness: BPC and SASO 1972-74
2. Black Consiousness on Trial
3. White Students on Trial
4. From Ideas to Action: Terrorism Trials before Soweto
5. 1976: New Dangers, New Responses
6. Terrorism and Torture
7. Breaking the Structures: Terrorism Trials after Soweto
8. Black Revolt on Trial: Sedition and the Soweto Students
Conclusion