Fracking: the Protests and the Court Cases

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Haldane Society lecture and questions 03/12/2014

Lecture Wednesday 3 December 2014: Fracking - The Protests and the Court Cases

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
in association with
The Mansfield Student Law Society, London Metropolitan University

invites you to attend our Human Rights Lectures 2014 - 2015

Wednesday 3 December 2014 6.30pm at the Law School, 16 Goulston Street, London, E1 7TP

Fracking: The Protests and the Court Cases

Speakers:
Tom Wainwright, criminal barrister at Garden Court Chambers; and
Melanie Strickland, activist in Reclaim the Power and solicitor.

Outrage over decision not to indict Darren Wilson for killing of Michael Brown

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers expresses outrage at the grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. This denial of justice sustains the culture of impunity which allows racist and overly violent officers to damage the social fabric of the nation and destroy lives. It is a symptom of a widespread system of racial injustice that continues to criminalise and oppress minority communities. 

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers supports the Brown family and all families who have suffered as a result of police brutality. Across the United States of America similar tragedies continue to occur as a result of police profiling, excessive use of lethal force and institutional racism. In just the last week, police have shot and killed two other unarmed African-Americans – Akai Gurley, 28, “accidentally” gunned down in his Brooklyn stairwell; and Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy holding a BB gun near a Cleveland playground. 

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers expresses its solidarity with protesters across the United States of America who have voiced their disappointment and anger at the verdict. We strongly oppose the use of excessive force by officers and the criminalisation of protesters in Ferguson, the usage of military technology for domestic policing, the deployment of the National Guard, and the actions taken by police officers to shut out media reporting.

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers denounces this state sanctioned violence and calls upon Darren Wilson to be federally indicted and for an inquiry to take place into the actions taken by St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch and the Ferguson Police Department.

We call on our members and all who read this statement to sign the petition to take this prosecution of Officer Darren Wilson to the Missouri Supreme Court: https://www.change.org/p/the-supreme-court-of-missouri-take-the-case-of-michael-brown-popularly-dubbed-the-ferguson-case-to-the-missouri-supreme-court-with-ferguson-officer-darren-wilson-as-the-accused

We also call on our members to attend this evening's (26 November) protest outside the US Embassy, 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 2LQ at 5.30pm. The protest is being organised by Stand Up to Racism in opposition to the decision not to prosecute and the police brutality being carried out currently in Ferguson, and as a show of solidarity with the family of Michael Brown and other victims of state racism.

AGM and John McDonnell lecture - 19 November

The next lecture in this year's series of Human Rights Law lectures will take place this Wednesday 19 November at 6.30pm. John McDonnell MP will be speaking on "Holding the executive to account: Parliament and the Courts, an MP's perspective".

The venue for the lecture is Basement Lecture Theatre (GSB01), School of Law, London Metropolitan University, 16 Goulston Street, London E1 7TP. Please note that this is a change in venue from last year's lecture series, which took place at the University of Law. The rest of this year's lecture series will also take place at London Met.

The lecture will be followed by the Haldane Society's AGM (expected about 8pm). Members are encouraged to attend the AGM. All members are entitled to nominate themselves for the society's executive committee, or one of the society's officer positions. Members are also entitled to submit motions to the AGM. Members who intend to stand for a position, or submit a motion, are requested to send a brief nomination statement or your proposed motion to secretary@haldane.org in advance of the AGM.

Our long-standing Chair, Liz Davies, is stepping down this year. The Haldane Society wishes to express our most profund thanks to Liz for the many years of excellent leadership and work that she has put in.

Nominations Open for Haldane Society Executive Committee

NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENTS, OFFICERS AND FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE are currently open. The full list of offices is as follows:

• The Chair of the Society,
• 2 Vice Chairs,
• The Treasurer,
• The Secretary;
• The International Secretary;
• The Membership Secretary; and
• The Editor of Socialist Lawyer.

The positions of Secretary, International Secretary, Membership Secretary, and Editor of Socialist Lawyer can be held as a job share between two people.

The executive committee is not limited in number.  Any member of the Society is entitled to attend the executive, but only members of the Committee, elected at the AGM, can vote in executive meetings.  Our constitution states: "Any member may stand for election except that candidates for Officer positions must be at least 18 years old."

If there is a nomination for President, or Vice-President, those nominations must be made be a member of the Haldane Society.

Members may nominate themselves for any of the officer posts or for election to the executive committee.

All nominations should be submitted in writing, with a short supporting statement of no more than 250 words, to secretary@haldane.org by 5pm on 5 November 2014. Late nominations will not be accepted.

Elections will take place by AV (or in the case of the vice chairs, STV) elections at the AGM.

MOTIONS to the AGM can be submitted to secretary@haldane.org by 5pm 16 November 2014. Motions must be proposed and seconded by members of the Society. Emergency Motions which could not have been submitted in the ordinary manner may be submitted to the Chair at any point up to the end of the meeting.

 We look forward to seeing you at the Annual General Meeting.

Haldane Feminist Lawyers 2014 Reading Group

The Haldane Feminist Lawyers will be holding our second annual autumn reading group.  Our book for this year will be Borderline Justice, by Frances Webber. 

Please find more details of the book published by Pluto Press and details of how to order here: http://www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=978074533163. You can order online or Bookmarks has confirmed that it is currently in stock with them. This text opens up a number of discussion points on the racism, classism, and sexism which is showcased in the UK's immigration policy. 

Our reading group will be taking place at the London Action Resource Centre  (http://www.londonarc.org/), whose location is less than 5 minutes from Whitechapel tube station on the District, Hammersmith and City, and Overground lines. The address is 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London, E1 1ES. 

The sessions will be held every other Monday beginning on 29th September 2014 from 6.30pm to 8pm.

Timetable

1) Monday 29th September 2014 at 6.30pm

Foreword by Gareth Peirce

Introduction

Chapter 1: The War on Asylum: Preventing Entry

_________________________________

2) Monday 13th October 2014 at 6.30pm

Chapter 2: Struggles for Fair Decision-Making

Chapter 3: More Obstacles to Justice

_________________________________

3) Monday 27th October 2014 at 6.30pm

Chapter 4: You’re Not a Refugee

Chapter 5: The Erosion of the Law of Humanity

_________________________________

4) Monday 10th November 2014 at 6.30pm

Chapter 6: Migration Management in the Market State

Chapter 7: The Fight for Family Life

_________________________________

5) Monday 24th November 2014 at 6.30pm

Chapter 8: Prisoners of Immigration Control

Chapter 9: The Growth of the Internal Border Force

_________________________________

6) Monday 8th December 2014 at 6.30pm

Chapter 10: The Deportation Drive

Chapter 11: Enemies of the State

 & Final Session and Post-Session Social

_________________________________

You do not have to attend all of the sessions, and if you miss one, you will be able to attend the next one without issue.

Men are welcome to attend as well and LARC and the HFL adhere to a safe space policy.

Email feminism@haldane.org with any queries.

Haldane Society Supports the Extraordinary Session of the Russell Tribunal

Israel’s Crimes in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge – Extraordinary session of the Russell Tribunal

24-25 September – Brussels – Albert Hall, Brussel

A few weeks ago, members of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, outraged by Israel’s terrible assault on Gaza and its population, decided to start working on an extraordinary session of the Tribunal that will look into Israel’s Crimes (including War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and the Crime of Genocide) during the still ongoing “Operation Protective Edge” as well as third States complicity.

During this session, that will take place on one day in Brussels on 24th September, our jury, so far composed of Michael Mansfield QC (President of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyer), John Dugard, Vandana Shiva, Christiane Hessel, Richard Falk, Ahdaf Soueif, Ken Loach, Paul Laverty, Roger Waters and Ronnie Kasrils will listen to testimonies from Paul Behrens, Desmond Travers, Pierre Barbancey (TBC), Max Blumenthal, Eran Efrati, Mads Gilbert, Mohammed Abou-Arab, Mads Gilbert, Paul Mason, Martin Lejeune, Mohammed Omer, Raji Sourani, Ashraf Mashharawi and Ivan Karakashian.

The jury will give its findings on 25th September in the morning during an international press conference at the International Press Center (IPC, Brussels). In the afternoon, the Jury will be received at the European parliament and address a message to the UN General Assembly for its reopening.

To register for the session (free), email your name and organisation to rtpgaza@gmail.com

Free Talha Asan!

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers looks forward to welcoming Talha Ahsan home to Britain on his release from custody in the US.  He committed no offence under British law and we question why he was extradited to the United States. He was detained for six years in Britain and then for another two years in the States, the latter period in solitary confinement in a supermax prison. No one should ever have to endure those conditions. He is one of the victims of the war on terror. We congratulate his family, friends and supporters on their tenacious campaign for his freedom, resulting in him being sentenced to “time served” and released.

For more information on the campaign to free Talha Asan, see http://freetalha.org.