Statement on report into murder of Pat Finucane

The Haldane Society joins with Geraldine Finucane and her family in condemning as a whitewash and a sham the "report" into the murder of her husband, the Belfast solicitor, Pat Finucane.  

The all too predictable outcome of the work commissioned by David Cameron from Sir Desmond de Silva QC has added yet one more chapter of insult to the deades of collusion, cover-up, lies and broken promises in which one British government after another has attempted to close the book on this international scandal.  "Justice on the cheap" has been the motto of this Government and it is no surprise that the only justification the Prime Minister can offer for refusing to order the impartial public inquiry his predecessors had pledged to hold, is that it would be too expensive.

The family has, and always has had, our unwavering support in its determination to force the British government to account fully and publicly for the murder that we believe was sanctioned at extremely high - if not the very highest - levels.  This is not simply one family's fight for the truth.  If there is no justice for the Finucane family there can never be any confidence in the word of a British Government.

Statement of solidarity for David Rabelo

The Haldane Society has written to the Colombian attorney general expressing its concern about the case of David Rabelo. Read our statement of solidarity here.

David Rabelo is a Colombian human rights defender who has been imprisoned for over two years and until recently had been waiting for a verdict in his case for more than six months. On 5th December his verdict was made official and he has been sentenced to more than 18 years in prison.

David has been convicted on the basis of evidence from an imprisoned paramilitary, who was convicted a result of David’s human rights work. The paramilitary was found guilty of committing two massacres, and in exchange for his testimony against David, his prison sentence was reduced from 40 to a maximum of eight years.  

In recent months it was discovered that the state prosecutor leading the case against David’s case had been previously banned from public office, because of his involvement in a forced disappearance of a young man when he worked for the Colombian police in 1991. Even after this was uncovered the prosecutor was allowed to continue this case against David.

Critical Mass Defence - Urgent callout

Critical Mass Defence is asking for witnesses to the arrests at the Critical Mass meet on 27th July this year.

Were you or anyone you know at Critical Mass on 27th July, or at the meeting point under Waterloo Bridge? Solicitors want to hear from people who were there and not arrested. Even if you don’t think you saw anything, please get in touch with GBC Legal as soon as possible – by 10^th December at the latest: gbclegal@riseup.net 07946 541 511

They are especially keen to hear from people who were at the meetup point at Waterloo Bridge, or at/in the kettle on either the Stratford Roundabout or the Bow Flyover.

Full details here.

Haldane supports Campaign Kazakhstan

At our annual general meeting on 15 November we passed a motion to lend our support to Campaign Kazakhstan.

Following the AGM we wrote letters to the Kazakhstan president, Nursultan Nazarbayev and to the embassy in London conveying our concern about the treatment of human rights lawyer Vadim Kuramshin.

Vadim Kuramshin was arrested on 31 October in the city of Petropavlovsk, northern Kazakhstan, when a police squad burst into his house and arrested him without presenting any warrant. He was reportedly beaten during the arrest and while held in the detention facility in Petropavlovsk. 

We are pleased that the Law Society has also written to the president expressing its concern.

Haldane and Young Legal Aid Lawyers Winter Party 2012

The image in this article is an advert for the Winter Party 2012, stating that it is on 30th November at 7pm at Garden Court Chambers.  Tickets £12 (£8 students) available on the door.  Speaker TBC.  Food and drink included.

Haldane welcomes Scottish Affairs Committee investigation into blacklisting

Read our letter to SAC here.

Emergency Resolution on Gaza Assassinations by Israel

Passed by the AGM 15 November 2012.

"The Haldane Society denounces the assassination of Ahmed al-Jaabari, one of the leaders of HAMAS, which has to be seen against a background of the slow genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip by means of blockade, destruction of infrastructure, the killings of Operation Cast Lead, and the massacre of the Palestinian people."

Emergency protests:

Saturday 17th November 1400-1600

outside the Israeli Embassy, 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB
(nearest tube High St Ken)

Other protests happening around the UK.

Socialist Lawyer No. 62 Out Now

In this issue of Socialist Lawyer (No 62) published by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, President Mike Mansfield writes on the parallels between the Report of the Independent Panel on Hillsborough and the Saville Report into Bloody Sunday. Mike Mansfield represented some of the families in both inquiries.

Mansfield praises the Independent Panel on Hillsborough for the conduct of the investigation. There were “no leaks official or unofficial. No Partiality. Families first”. It was “a perfect prototype or model for the future” and “truth in action rarely observed in other judicial processes, however good the intentions”.

Surprisingly for someone proud of being a radical lawyer, Mansfield praises David Cameron for his “statesmanlike and authoritative speeches” in response to the Hillsborough Panel and the Saville Report. Thousands in Derry, and later in Liverpool, broke into applause, feeling vindicated and rehabilitated from the lies and smears that had been cast upon the dead victims of each tragedy.

Above all, Mansfield praises “the power of public opinion [that] rose up from the terraces and galvanised the first e-petiition to trigger a debate in Parliament”. This was due to the “extraordinary efforts of the victims, friends and relatives. Single minded, unstinting and persistent over decades”.

Mansfield calls for the establishment of a permanent Truth Commission, with a rotating membership, to examine examples of systematic failure or abuse. The membership of this Commission would have to command respect for their independence of mind and spirit, their expertise and their dedication. Those were the outstanding features of every single Hillsborough panel member. He wonders if the Chilcot and Leveson Inquiries will emulate the Hillsborough panel.

Notes to editors

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers was founded in 1930. It provides a forum for the discussion and analysis of law and the legal system, both nationally and internationally, from a socialist perspective. It holds frequent public meetings and conducts educational programmes. It is independent of any political party. Membership comprises lawyers, academics, students and legal workers as well as trade union and labour movement affiliates. For more information on the Haldane Society contact Liz Davies on 07958 673840.

Michael Mansfield QC is President of the Haldane Society and a criminal defence barrister. He is known for representing victims of miscarriages of justice, including some of the Birmingham Six, the Bridgewater Four and the Tottenham Three. He represented the family of Jean Charles de Menezes at his inquest and represented families of victims at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. He is a member of the jury panel of the Russell Tribunal inquiry into the legal ramifications of Israel's human rights and humanitarian law violations in Palestine. His autobiography “Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer” was published in 2009.

Michael Mansfield QC will address the Annual General Meeting of the Haldane Society on Thursday 15 November 2012, speaking on “Palestine, Putney and the planet”. For more information contact Liz Davies on 07958 673840. Entrance is free but priority is reserved for Haldane members, law students and practitioners.

Support Alfie Meadows and Zak King

Alfie Meadows and Zak King’s retrial for violent disorder started on Monday 29th October at Woolwich Crown Court. 

The Haldane Society sends its support to Alfie and Zak and we encourage people to attend Woolwich Crown Court to show their support in person. More information about Alfie and Zak's case can be found on the Defend the Right to Protest website

Woolwich Crown Court
2 Belmarsh Road
London
SE28 0EY

Nearest DLR: Woolwich Arsenal

Widely opposed, but anti-squatters legislation sneaks in - by Paul heron

A new criminal offence of ‘squatting in a residential building’, came into force on 1st September 2012 by way of section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

This vindictive piece of Con- Dem legislation will raise concern across England and Wales. For some, it marks a long-awaited triumph for private landlords, but for many others it comes as a serious threat to their basic need for shelter and a home. The ‘consultation exercise’ that preceded its introduction saw 96 per cent of responses not wanting to see any action taken on squatting.

Out of 2,217 responses, 2,126 of those were from members of the public concerned about the impact of criminalising squatting, and only 10 people bothered to write in claiming to be victims of squatting. 

Amazingly the Metropolitan police, The Law Society, The Criminal Bar Association and numerous homeless charities such as Crisis all came out publicly opposing its introduction. In the middle of one of the worst housing crises this country has ever seen, up to 50,000 squatters who are currently squatting in empty properties across the UK face becoming criminals and this because they are occupying abandoned residential properties in order to put a roof over their heads. 

Not surprisingly when squatting is reported in the media it often cites an example of the homeowner who ‘goes on holiday, and returns to find his home squatted.’ While sympathy can be extended in such cases, they are very rare and are often overplayed in the press for political gain. The reality is that for most people who squat it is because they do not have access to affordable accommodation, and it is in properties that have been abandoned for many years. 

With a stroke thousands of ordinary working class people will possibly become criminals overnight, facing up to six months in jail and fines of up to £5,000. Yet questions need to be asked of this legislation, homelessness rates are rising, a hidden army of sofa surfers exist across the country, housing benefit caps are further placing the screw on many, and remember of course many of those receiving housing benefit are working. 

Yet with the number of empty properties, according to the Empty Homes Agency, standing at 930,000 then we must ask – who is this law protecting? As socialists we can only see that it protects profiteering landlords and property speculators, properties are being kept empty to protect profits, and the new law does nothing but shore up this practice. In fact it can even be argued that the law is open to abuse by rogue landlords, which could mean trouble for even existing tenants – who may have a tenancy agreement that the landlord will deny. 

The legal process has been hijacked by an elite minority that has seen to it that criminalising squatting in residential properties be a priority. It is an ideological attack using rhetoric that has no basis in reality and is there with the sole reason to defend private property rights – usually affecting landowners who have left property vacant for many years. 

The attack against squatting is a marked shift not only in the campaign against people now facing homelessness, but one to defend private property rights over the human right to shelter. 

Paul Heron