Lecture 12 March: Omar Khard and the Betrayal of International Law

Wednesday 12 March 2014, 6.30pm

Omar Khadr and the Betrayal of International Law

At Garden Court Chambers, 57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A

Canadian citizen Omar Khadr, 27, was 15 years old when he was captured by the US military in Afghanistan in 2002. He was taken to Bagram, where he was tortured, and then on to Guantánamo Bay, where he is the only person since WWII to be convicted as an adult of war crimes committed as a minor under a secret plea bargain. He returned to Canada in September 2012 where he remains in prison, and until recently at a maximum-security facility. His lawyers have recently launched an appeal against his US conviction and the Canadian government for breaches of his constitutional rights.

Dennis Edney QC, Khadr’s Scottish-Canadian lawyer, will talk through the legal issues surrounding Omar Khadr’s unique case and the gross abuses of his human rights and international law by both the US and Canadian governments.

The event will be chaired by Professor Bill Bowring, President of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH); International Secretary, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers. Jointly organised by CAMPACC, the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers and the London Guantánamo Campaign.

The event is free and all welcome! For information contact: secretary@haldane.org

Lecture 13 March: Demonisation of Migrants

THURSDAY 13 MARCH 2014, 6.30pm How does the political and media demonisation of migrants affect the rule of law?
University of Law, 14 Store Street, London WC1
Speakers: Frances Webber and Dr Jon Burnett, editor IRR News.
Free admission. We regret CPD points are not available.

Download the poster.

Feminist Lawyers Launch Event

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

26^th 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.

Invitation to Cuban Five meeting on 26 February

This is an open invitation to attend a joint Haldane Society/Cuba Solidarity Campaign meeting regarding the (Miami) Cuban 5, on 26 February 2014 at 6.30pm at Garden Court Chambers 57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LJ. 

The meeting will focus on the cases of five Cuban nationals arrested in Miami in 1998 while attempting to stop terrorist attacks against the Cuban people.  The Five anti-terrorists were illegally held in solidarity confinement for 17 months, convicted following an unfair trial and sentenced to terms of between 15 years to double life. The campaign for justice for the Five is gaining international prominence and raises important issues relating to the rights of the Miami (or Cuban) 5 as well as the rights of Cuba to national self defence,

Ways of Showing Support

The campaign has launched a new website which provides supporters with different ways to help the Five: www.voicesforthefive.com/

• Send a message of support to the Five alongside over 3500 other 'voices for the 5' and encourage others to do so by clicking here 
• Make a donation by clicking here.  All proceeds will be used to help finance the Commission of Inquiry and the campaign to Free the Five.
  

International Commission of Inquiry 

The evening at Garden Court Chambers on 26 February 2014 is a precursor to a two day International Commission of Inquiry into the Case of the Cuban Five, which will take place on 7th and 8th March 2014, at the Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL.

The Commission will hear testimony from around 20 key witnesses including US defence attorney Martin Garbus,' the world's finest trial lawyer',  former US attorney general Ramsey Clark,  representatives from international human rights organisation Amnesty International, and from Miami Five family members including wives of the Five, Olga Salanueva and Elizabeth Palmeiro.

International Legal Community 

The Commission will be presided over by distinguished international jurors including the former Chief Justice of India Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal,  Zakeria  Mohammed Yacoob former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Philippe Texier, former Chair of the Supreme Court of France.

There will be testimony from specialists on the range of measures taken to defend Cuba against the threat of terrorist attacks, as well as testimony from Cuban and international victims of US based terrorism.

Rene Gonzalez 

René González, the first and only member of the Miami Five to have been released after completing his 15 year sentence in the United States, has announced that he will also come to London to give evidence to the International Commission of Inquiry on 7th and 8th March 2014.

He will be joined by family members, victims of terrorism against Cuba, lawyers, politicians and campaigners from Cuba and across the world including Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winning author of the Color Purple. Ricardo Alarcon, the former President of the Cuban parliament and representative to the UN for many years is another special guest.

International Solidarity 

The International Commission is the major event of the campaigning organisation Voices for the Five which has brought together hundreds of international celebrities including John Le Carré, Emma Thompson, Danny Glover, Lord Rowan Williams, Martin Sheen, Noam Chomsky, Günter Grass, Peter Capaldi and Dame Vivienne Westwood. They have been joined by thousands who have posted messages of support to the web based campaigning site.

For a full list of international endorsers, please see http://www.voicesforthefive.com/endorsers/

Cultural Events 

A number of associated events will take place including a major international concert at the Barbican Hall in London featuring acclaimed musicians and stars of the Buena Vista Social Club - Eliades Ochoa and Omara Portuondo -   alongside other international performers and guests, as well as associated screenings and exhibitions.

Tickets 

Public tickets are available for each day (£10 per day) of the Commission and demand is expected to be high so please book as soon as possible.

• To buy tickets click here
• For further details about the Commission proceedings click here
• For details about Accommodation and Transport options in London click here
• For further details click here to contact Voices for the Five 

Launch of Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance: 27 February 2014

*Meeting Now Fully Subscribed*
Entry can only be guaranteed to those who have pre-booked.

We invite you to the launch meeting of the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS).

Thursday 27 February 2014, 6.30pm

Speakers:

• Imran Khan, solicitor to Doreen Lawrence
• Lois Austin, Youth Against Racism in Europe and Socialist Party
• Harriet Wistrich, solicitor to eight women bringing legal action against the Metropolitan Police Service
• Dave Smith, Blacklist Support Group
• Robbie Gillett, Drax protester
• Helen Steel, one of the women who is suing police over undercover relationships

Unfortunately, Baroness Lawrence is now unable to attend.

Diskus Conference Centre, Unite House, 128 Theobald's Road,  Holborn, London, WC1X 8TN

Free admission. Places are limited, so please book by email to cops@haldane.org

Download the leaflet.

Further information: http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.wordpress.com/

[The image in this article is the logo of the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance.  It is the word "COPS" in capital letters, with a palm print in the centre of the "O".]