Free Lecture and Film: The State of Unpeace in the Philippines

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The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines and Amnesty International invite you to hear Cristina Ellazar Palabay on "The State of Unpeace in the Philippines" together with a film on the struggle against Glencore-Xstrata's Tampakan mining project, potentially forcing 4,000 people from their homes. Other speakers include Anna Morris, Vice-Chair Haldane Society, and CHRP.

Monday 30th June 2014, 6.30pm - 8.30pm at the Conference Room, Amnesty International, Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA.

Cristina is Secretary General of Karapatan, the Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples' Rights in the Philippines: http://www.karapatan.org. Karapatan and Cristina were heavily involved in delivering relief for victims of the typhoon despite having to endure government violations of human rights, its counter-insurgency programme and government corruption.

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense of people’s rights and civil liberties. It  firmly believes that...

  • Human rights should be respected in all its dimensions – civil and political, economic, social and cultural.
  • Basic rights to life, humane treatment, and due process should be preserved at all times.
  • The people has the right to be free from all forms of oppression and exploitation.
  • A repressive state which serves the interests of a few oppressors and exploiters are the worse violator of human rights.
  • The struggle of the Filipino people for national liberation and social emancipation provides the framework for human rights advocacy.
  • Human rights advocacy must be biased for the interest of the oppressed classes, sectors, and groups.
  • Human rights advocacy is integral to the struggle of the peasants for land, the workers for national industrialization and decent living and working conditions, the women against exploitation and discrimination, the indigenous peoples for self-determination, the poor for basic social services, and the youth for access to education and other venues for growth and development.

Free admission. No need to reserve in advance. More details: www.haldane.org and http://www.chrp.org.uk/.

Haldane Society Condemns Death Threats Against Vice-President Phil Shiner and His Family

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Phil Shiner has been subject to intimidation and harassment over the last 10 years as a result of his work for Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) and their cases representing Iraqis in war crimes cases.

Recently, Phil and PIL have worked on a number of issues including the Al Sweady Inquiry relating to Iraqi detainees, non-nationals receiving legal aid for judicial review cases and the decision by the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes by the UK in Iraq.

As a result of his human rights advocacy work, Phil has experienced threats and intimidation for nearly 10 years, with, at one stage, a police investigation launched into the threats and a 2010 threat that led to a prosecution under the Malicious Communications Act 1988.

We understand that, as a result of a recent rise in the negative media attention paid to PIL, Phil has received an increasing number of abusive emails and phone calls.

The Haldane Society salutes the pioneering work carried out by Phil and PIL. Without their work, there would have been no recognition that Baha Mousah died as a result of assaults by British troops, that the British government’s obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 extend to its actions abroad, and there would have been no justice for the victims and families of victims of human rights abuses committed by British troops. We are proud that Phil is a Vice-President of the Haldane Society and regularly gives lectures to our members and students.

We call on the police and CPS to ensure Phil Shiner’s safety and that of his family.

Congratulations to Kate Markus, Appointed Upper Tribunal Judge

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The Haldane Society congratulates Kate Markus, QC, on her appointment as an Upper Tribunal Judge and notes her resignation as Vice-President of the Society. Kate was Chair of the Haldane Society in the early 1990s. Kate led the Haldane Society delegations to the historic IADL Congress in Cape Town in 1996 and also led a delegation to El Salvador and Guatamala at the end of El Salvador's civil war. She took part in a number of other international delegations.

Kate's commitment and energy resulted in the Society's profile raised generally and particularly amongst legal aid practitioners. She was simultaneously chair of the Law Centres Federation.

Kate has been a Honorary Vice-President of the Society since 2010. We wish her all the best as a Judge.

Haldane Archives Now Available at LSE Library

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The Haldane Society’s archives are kept at the LSE Library. Access is available to members of the public. Details are here http://archives.lse.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=HALDANE+SOCIETY

Information on using the reading room at the LSE Library is here http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/usingTheLibrary/accessingMaterials/readingRoomAccess/home.aspx.

A more detailed survey list is available on request.

Not In Our Name

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Please see below a petition - please email Sam Parham at Garden Court Chambers samp@gclaw.co.uk or contact Sam on twitter @sam_parham if you are a barrister practising in criminal law and would like to be added as a signatory.

PETITION:

'Response to the CBA announcement of 27.3.2014-

NOT IN OUR NAME

‘Divide and rule’ between the professions is not applied in our name.

As individuals, we believe in the highest quality representation for our clients and in unity of action between the professions.  It is only through this united stance that we have been able to come this far and unity remains essential to the preservation of this profession and to the protection of justice.

The breaking of unprecedented unity is not in our name.

Cuts, be they deferred, are not in our name.

Cuts heavily weighted upon solicitors rather than barristers are not in our name. The cuts already imposed are devastating and crippling to all.

We also provide support to solicitors and to the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) in their protest action on the 31st March and 1st April 2014.

We further pledge our support to the march from Old Palace Yard, SW1 to the MOJ Headquarters on 1st April from 14:15 (Mr Grayling’s Birthday).

With or Without the CBA, the Fight Continues

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The Haldane Society condemns the decision of the CBA, without reference to its members, to purport to suspend the industrial action taken by criminal barristers against the government's attacks on legal aid.  Criminal barristers within the Haldane Society take the view that it is not for the leadership of the CBA to tell our profession whether or not we will take action in solidarity with our comrades in the solicitors profession, and within the civil bar.  If there is to be any suspension of further action, it should be a decision of the members of the profession taken at a general meeting at which all are free to attend, so that the matter can be discussed openly. 

The concessions offered by Grayling are pitiful in comparison to what we stand to gain by remaining united.  Simply delaying the introduction of certain cuts to barristers' fees is insufficient.  We demand the end to all government cuts to legal aid.  This is achievable.  Mere days ago Grayling described the cuts as being written in stone.  Now they are up for negotiation.  Further action will compel him to compromise further.  We can defeat these cuts.  All we need is solidarity.

Ending this struggle merely because some of our fees are secure plays into the hands of those who would call us fat cats.  This struggle has never merely been about our fees.  It is about access to justice.  This is still under threat from the Grayling cuts.  Our job is to serve the communities for whose rights we fight.  This retreat by the CBA is letting the public down.  Our clients' fights for justice don't stop at the criminal bar: their access to justice will be impeded without solicitors to help them through the gateway to justice, and without civil practitioners to obtain remedies for injustices done, and to challenge unlawful government decisions.  To truly win, we must stand firm, in solidarity with comrades throughout the legal profession and beyond. 

The Haldane Society continues to support the action to be taken on 31 March and 1 April by the solicitors profession and probation workers.  We also continue to support any and all action against the cuts, including further withdrawal of labour by barristers.

The fight continues.  If the CBA will not lead it, then someone else will.

CHD lawyers released from custody in Turkey

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The Haldane Society of Sociialist Lawyers welcomes the release, on 21 March 2014, of lawyers in Turkey, members of our sister organisation CHD, after 14 months of detention facing unjust charges. We reproduce below the speech of their President, our comrade, Selcuk Kozagacli.

 

Slogans: "The revolutionary lawyers are our honor", "The CHD did not remain silent, it won't remain silent".

 

Selcuk Kozagacli: "Thanks, thanks for all. In these 14 months we never felt alone, not even for a moment. We were so glad, that there were so many people, such a big support. We couldn't imagine. What a big family we are, what a big solidarity.

We didn't recognize the prison sentence at all. For us, this was neither imprisonment and nor did we demand our release. We didn't recognize at all, that it was a court, that put us in jail. And we didn't even accept that the decision was an imprisonment. We never asked for release.

As absurd the decision was, which they called imprisonment, as absurd was the decision they called release. There's no seriosity at all.

It has nothing to do with justice, right or law to release a part of the prisoners, while there are still so many prisoners, so many victimized people, so many revolutionary and political prisoners inside.

Don't think, that I say this to speak bad about those, who released us...

We don't believe that we were charged and that we remained in prison.

We were kidnapped by our enemies and locked into this building (shows to the prison complex behind him) by armed force. And now we have found a way out - thanks to our friend, thanks to our comrades, thanks to all, who had supported us - we went in front of that door.

We'll see, how it will develop. Nobody from us could be intimidated, we didn't fear at all, we bounced back, weren't sad at all. We're fine. We will now continue from an even advanced point. Again, thanks a lot. We once again embrace all of you."

 

Slogans: "Down with fascism, long live our struggle"

 

Feminist Lawyers Launch Event

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The Haldane Society invites you to our feminist lawyers launch event.

26th March 2014, 6.30pm onwards

at the London Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate St, London, E1 1ES
(near Whitechapel Station)

Free (Suggested Donation £2)

A social event for women and allies to share personal experiences of being involved in the legal system, studying the law, or campaigning for justice, and the particular challenges for women.

Come join us and voice your opinion in a group discussion on:

  • Fighting sexism in legal practice;
  • Coming together to build a more progressive, woman-friendly, and socialist profession;
  • Supporting one another in a profession marked by inequality and threatened by unprecedented legal aid cuts.

Refreshments will be available.

Contact feminism@haldane.org for details.