Click here to download the poster as a printable A4 PDF.
[The image in this article sets out the dates of Haldane's upcoming lecture series. Lectures are to be held on 8 October (police surveillance), 14 November (Michael Mansfield and Haldane AGM) and 10 December (details TBC). All at University of Law, Store Street, 6.30pm. All lectures are free or £10 for CPD.]
Speakers: Imran Khan, solicitor to Doreen Lawrence, and Lois Austin,
former Chair of Youth Against Racism in Europe (spied on by the police)
Speaker to be announced.
All lectures at 6.30pm - 8.00pm, held at the University of Law, 14 Store Street, London WC1E 7DE.
http://www.law.ac.uk/our-centres/london-bloomsbury/getting-there/.
Free admission. CPD points available (charge £10).
"Borderline Justice" is written by Frances Webber and published by Pluto Press, with a foreword by Gareth Peirce. Barriser Frances Webber provides a unique insight into how the law has been applied to migrants, refugees and other "unpopular minorities". The book records some of the key legal struggles of the past thirty years which have sought to preserve values of universality in human rights - and the importance of continuing to fight for those values, inside and outside the courtroom.
Harmit Athwal will speak on the deaths of asylum seekers (in detention, in the community and during removal) and what can be done to highlight such deaths.
Frances Webber has been a legal practitioner in the field of migrants' rights for over 30 years. She is an honorary Vice-President of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Vice-Chair of the Institute of Race Relations and a visiting lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Harmit Athwalll has worked for the Institute of Race Relationsfor 15 years, edits and manages IRR News, the IRR’s online news service and carries out research into deaths in custody, during deportation and related to racial violence in the UK. Recent reports include Driven to desperate measures, Racial violence: the buried issue and Asylum deaths: what to do next. In her outreach role, she has variously worked with groups such as United Families and Friends Campaign, Medical Justice and Corporate Watch.
Helen Bamber OBE: "Frances Webber writes with the authority of a legal expert who for thirty years has represneted migrants and asylum seekers. The book raises quesions for all concenrred with the preservation of a truly democratic and humane society".
Liz Fekete, Executive Director Institute for Race Relations: "On every page of this book the cold, inhuman and racially-determined logic of Home Office decision-making is laid bare by a campaigning lawyer passioante in the belief that the fight to preserve refugee and migrant rights in the UK is central to the larger fight for racial justice internationally".
Wednesday 26 June 2013, 6.30pm - 8.30pm, admission free, Garden Court Chambers 57 - 60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ. No need to reserve in advance. Copies of Borderline Justice will be on sale.
The Institute of Employment Rights & The Haldane Society invite you to hear:
In conversation with
Trade unions at work globally: offering an alternative to austerity
Tuesday 14th May 2013, 6.30pm
At the Diskus Conference Centre, UNITE House, 128 Theobolds Road, London WC1X 8TN
Nearest Tube Holborn
CAMPACC SUPPORTED BY HALDANE SOCIETY OF SOCIALIST LAWYERS AND EUROPEAN LAWYERS FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS (ELDH)
Public Meeting
Tuesday 16 April 2013, 6.30pm
At Garden Court Chambers, 57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A
(closest tube Holborn)
Chaired by Professor Bill Bowring,
President of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH); International Secretary, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
Speakers
Iratxe Urizar, lawyer, member of the Basque Observatory of Human Rights;
Asier Aranguren, former political prisoner and spokesperson of the Collective of Basque Political Prisoners;
Gorka Elejabarrieta, representative of the Sortu International Department and former representative of the Abertzale Left in the European Parliament;
Alistair Lyons, solicitor, Birnberg Peirce Solicitors.
Plus video from the Collective of Basque Political Prisoners
Please note new time and location:
6.30pm Thrusday 28 February, Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, SW1
IMPORTANT Please try and arrive at 6pm to make sure you leave enough time to get through security
Hosted by Siobhain McDonagh MP
Speakers:
7-9pm Friday 18 January 2013
Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd St (near Kings X station)
Speakers include:
Saghir Hussain, Director, CagePrisoners
Sharhabeel Lone, Director, KTCO
Mohamed Nur, community worker, KTCO
Kurdish Federation UK
Tom Foot, journalist, Camden New Journal
George Binette, Branch Secretary, Camden UNISON
Frances Webber, Vice-President, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
Les Levidow, CAMPACC
Aims of the meeting:
Over several years MI5 has been systematically blackmailing individuals to spy on their communities. In most cases, security agencies want information on political views and ordinary political activities. This covert surveillance spreads fear and distrust among communities here – all in the name of protecting ‘national security’.
In an extreme case, in October 2012 the Home Secretary withdrew the citizenship of a Somali-born UK citizen, Mahdi Hashi. As a care worker in the Kentish Town Community Organisation (KTCO) in 2009, Mahdi had refused to become an MI5 informer. Then MI5 threatened him and four colleagues with being labelled as 'Islamic extremists' if they refused to become informers. Madhi in particular felt so harassed by the MI5 that he left the country for Somalia, where he has family members. The Home Secretary later revoked his citizenship, thus preventing his return. After leaving Somalia he disappeared and was held at a secret detention site. In December it became public that he was rendered to face 'terrorism' charges in a NY court. There he is accused of participation in al Shabaab. For details, see http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/dec/fathers-anger-family-are-told-former-camden-schoolboy-being-held-us-terror-charges
For several years MI5 had blackmailed many other British Somalis. MI5 told the men, 'Work for us or we will say you are a terrorist.' When they refused to cooperate, MI5 acted on the threat: afterwards some were detained and interrogated on trips abroad. For details, see
http://campacc.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=47&cntnt01returnid=133
Such practices are widespread. Beyond a few well-publicised cases, MI5 has blackmailed hundreds of refugees, especially Kurds and Tamils. Refugees face much higher stakes: they could be deported to torture, or else they could be granted asylum as a reward for becoming informers.
Meeting is sponsored by: the Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), CagePrisoners, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), Kurdish Federation UK, London Somali Youth Forum, Hands Off Somalia, Camden Green Party, Mumia Abu Jamal Defence Campaign (UK)
And supported by Camden Councillors Sarah Hayward (Leader of Camden Council) and Maya de Souza
For information contact: CAMPACC, estella24@tiscali.co.uk, tel. 020 7586 5892, www.campacc.org.uk
The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers is delighted to announce its 2012-13 Human Rights Lecture Series. Click here for more details.
The image in this article contains information on the lecture series, and is a link to the lectures page of this website.
Access to Justice and other supporting organisations (including the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers) invite you to a Public Meeting on the future of Legal Advice Services, taking place on 1st October 2012 in Manchester.
Each year the Haldane Society arranges its popular Human Rights Lecture Series, on a diverse range of subjects, with important speakers from across the legal landscape.
All of the events in the 2012-13 series take place at The College of Law on Store Street, London, and begin at 6.30pm. Lectures last about an hour and a half to two hours.
All lectures are free. CPD available for practitioners, £10.
“Struck Out: Why employment tribunals fail workers and what can be done”
David Renton (barrister) and Dave Smith (Blacklist Support Group) will speak on the why employment workers, and how workers can respond through collective action outside the legal system.
“Palestine, Putney and Planet”
Michael Mansfield will be speaking on a diverse range of subjects including Palestine, the Putney Debates from the Civil War, and eco-cide.
Haldane Society AGM
The lecture will be followed by Haldane's AGM, open to all members of the Society.
“The Injustice of Privatisation”
Owen Jones (author of Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class) and a comrade from the PCS trade union will be speaking on the subject of privatisation, particularly as it affects the legal system.
“Higher Education for Sale”
Michael Chessum and Adam Gearey will be speaking on the privatisation of higher education.
“Back to Work Schemes, ATOS, Forced Labour: the Fight in the Courts”
We will hear from a solicitor from Public Interest Lawyers and one of their clients about the government's controversial back to work schemes, their interrelationships with the concept of forced labour, and the human rights aspect of this subject.
“Trafficking: Law and Politics”
We will hear from speakers involved in the fight against human-trafficking.
