Labour Legal Aid Review

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The Labour Party is currently undertaking the Bach Review into legal aid.  The submission below was prepared by the Haldane Society in response to a request for submissions.

The submission advocates for the restoration of the areas of the funding affected by years of cuts, notes the terrible impact on individuals of the removal of legal aid, and highlights the position of those at the junior end of the profession who are no longer able to make ends meet because of the cuts.

Click here to download the submission.



Free Public Lecture - Sex by Deception: The Case for Conditional Consent

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Following the success of the Women Fighting Back: International and Legal Perspectives conference in November 2015 with its focus in part on the effect of deception on consent, and the impact of this on women, the Haldane Society is proud to announce our next human rights lecture, "Sex by deception: The case for conditional consent".

The speakers are:

  • Jane Fae, a writer and journalist with a long0time focus on the law and how it interacts with issues of sexuality and gender identity.
  • Julian Norman, a barrister at Dtystone Chambers with a practice in immigration, criminal and regulatory law.  She is also a trustee of Feminism in London.
  • Stephen Whittle, professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The lecture will take place at 6.30pm on 25 April 2016 at the Basement Lecture Theatre, School of Law, London Metropolitan University, 16 Goulston Street, London E1 7TP.  Closest tubes Aldgate and Aldgate East.

There is no need to register (although you can RSVP to the Facebook event) and latecomers are welcome to enter quietly.

Free Her! Women Political Prisoners - Lecture Recording

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The recording of our 4 February 2016 lecture, Free Her! Women Political Prisoners is now available to view below.

The speakers were Dr Radha D’Souza and Shiva Mahbobi

  • Radha practiced as a barrister in the High Court of Bombay and taught at the Universities of Auckland and Waikato in New Zealand before coming to University of Westminster. She is a freelance writer and social justice activist.
  • Shiva is a former political prisoner in Iran, women's rights activist, broadcaster, and the spokesperson for the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI).

Support the Junior Doctors Strike

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On Wednesday, 9 March 2016, junior doctors are starting a 48 hour strike - the first of three further industrial actions protesting against changes to the junior doctor’s contracts.[1] The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers fully supports the actions of junior doctors and calls on the Government to reconsider its decision to unilaterally impose the new contracts.

The Haldane Society notes that the new contracts being forced upon junior doctors will force them to work longer hours for 30% less pay. Coupled with the introduction of the Health and Social Care Act, these changes to the NHS facilitate the privatisation of health services. This is the latest step by the Government to cut funding and working conditions in a public service and to smooth the way for privatisation.

The Haldane Society has similarly campaigned to protect legal aid against severe and excessive cuts. Over the last years, legal aid has been removed from many areas of civil law and new criminal legal aid contracts were imposed in such a deeply flawed process that they had to be withdrawn.[2] In the same way as has been seen with junior doctors, public lawyers were misrepresented as being concerned about their wages rather than the provision of public services. The Haldane Society condemns the attack on public services which extends to all sectors affecting librarians,[3] teachers,[4] and local authorities[5] amongst others. George Osborne has indicated that this is only the beginning and further cuts will be introduced in the near future.[6] 

The Haldane Society reiterates its support for junior doctors and emphasises that the challenges to cuts in public services are about more than salaries. This is about protecting our public services.

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Solidarity with the #Heathrow13

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The Haldane Society continues to support the 13 Plane Stupid campaigners facing possible prison sentences for their peaceful protest against the destruction of the climate.   They are set to appear at Willesden Magistrates Court this Wednesday 24th February 2016, and we encourage all of our members to attend the solidarity protest. 

Download the leaflet.

We also encourage our members to support the ongoing campaigning work of Plane Stupid against the expansion of Heathrow, and the destruction to local communities and the global climate that it would cause

"Women Fighting Back: International and Legal Perspectives" Panel: Women in Work

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Our final Conference session from the International Women's Conference 2015 is on the subject of Women in Work.  The speakers are:

  • Nadja Charaby
    Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
  • Yasmine Bennamanii and Zouzou Hadjer Zahida (Algeria)
    Lawyers
  • Bronwen Handyside (UK)
    Vice Chair of UNITE London and Eastern Region