Haldane statement on recognition of the State of Palestine

The Haldane Society calls upon the UK government to immediately recognise the State of Palestine. Having correctly described statehood as the ‘inalienable right of the Palestinian People’, the UK government must not make recognition dependent on the fulfilment of any conditions, in line with its obligations under the UN Charter and other sources of international law.

Background

The Prime Minister has stated that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, subject to steps to be taken by the Israeli government and potentially also by Hamas. The Israeli government is called to take substantive steps to improve the situation in Gaza, including restarting the supply of aid, agreeing to a ceasefire, and committing to reviving the prospect of a two state solution. Meanwhile, he demands that Hamas release remaining hostages, commit to a ceasefire, disarm, and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.

Unconditional recognition of the State of Palestine

While recognition of Palestinian statehood is long overdue, international law does not permit the UK to make such recognition contingent on the fulfilment of conditions.

All peoples have the right to self-determination (Article 1, ICCPR). Since 1974, the UN General Assembly has explicitly recognised the Palestinian right to self-determination “without interference” (UNGA Resolution 3236 (XXIX)). This Palestinian right has been affirmed on more than one occasion by the International Court of Justice since 2004 (p. 183, para. 118).

A corollary of the right to self-determination is, amongst other things, the right of the Palestinian people “ to determine their political status” (Article 1, ICCPR). The “establishment of a sovereign and independent State” constitutes a mode “of implementing the right of self-determination by that people” (UNGA Resolution 2625 (XXV), p. 124).

As a member of the United Nations, the UK has an obligation to respect “the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples” (UN Charter, Article 1(2)). Moreover, the UK has “the duty to promote, through joint and separate action, realization of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples” (UNGA Resolution 2625 (XXV), p. 123-4).

Consequently, refusal by the UK to recognise the Palestinian right to a state, on the basis of any condition, is contrary to its obligations to respect and promote the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The Haldane Society, standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation, unequivocally affirms their right to self-determination and calls for the British government to unconditionally recognise the state of Palestine.

Statement in solidarity with the trans community

Haldane stands in solidarity with the trans community in the face of the recent Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) [2025] UKSC 16.  

The ramifications of that judgment have become increasingly apparent through heightened levels of abuse and transphobia, and the ensuing negative impact upon safe access to public spaces for trans people. Haldane notes and joins the concerns raised by many about the interim guidance on trans rights produced on behalf of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (‘EHRC’) – guidance which clearly goes beyond even this devastating ruling - and supports the wide-ranging calls for the consultation period on the EHRC guidance to be thorough and detailed, allowing affected parties to be fully and comprehensively heard. The inclusion of trans people within that process is particularly vital given the fact that no trans-affiliated groups were heard within the Supreme Court hearing, nor was significant consideration given to the impact upon intersex individuals.  

Any final guidance should be workable and enable full access to society for all trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people, who it is recognised suffer significant and increasing levels of misogyny, transphobia and violence. 

Haldane is mindful of the decision in Goodwin v UK (2002) 35 EHRR 18, in which the European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’) held that the U.K. had breached its positive obligation under Article 8 to ensure respect for private life by failing to give legal recognition to the applicant’s gender reassignment, as well as under Article 12. This decision led to the enactment of the Gender Recognition Act (‘GRA’) 2004. In addition to the wider ramifications of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd, Haldane has been particularly concerned about another recent legal attack on trans people - namely an attempted amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill which would have allowed data protection rules to be rewritten to force public authorities to collect ‘sex at birth’ data from members of the public1 and which would watered down the provisions within the GRA 2004, as well as representing a rollback of rights for transgender, non-binary and intersex people.  

Haldane robustly supports the concerns raised by multiple organisations about the undermining of protections within the GRA 2004 and the likelihood that the judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd will continue to be used to stoke the ‘culture war’ being waged against trans people across the U.K.  

Wendy Pettifer: Obituary (1953 - 2025)

Our much-loved comrade Wendy Pettifer died in early July 2025, aged 72, born in 1953.

Among her many talents, Wendy was fluent in French, and could speak German and Italian.

From 1977, aged 24, Wendy was a community worker in Manchester Law Centre, and spent a short time working at a women’s refuge in London. She then worked as an advice worker at Centerprise, the Hackney Centerprise Co-operative,from 1980 to 1989. It was forced to close in 2013. She was attracted by the collective style of working in an advice service that broadly aimed to empower as well as help its clients. Wendy saw that the advice centre punched above its weight and was involved in various campaigns, often with tenants’ associations. Wendy herself concentrated on housing and benefits, although she had some landmark successes in early deportation cases where legal action was combined with community campaigns.  

In her spare time she joined the Hackney Women Writers group and published her own creative writing.

From 1985 she worked part time at Centerprise while studying to become a solicitor. She qualified in 1992 aged 39, and worked in private practice at Wilsons Solicitors in Tottenham and later at the College of Law, before joining Hackney Law Centre. She also gained an MA in Refugee Studies from the University of East London

She became a Trustee of Social Workers without Borders and was active in the Greek Solidarity Campaign. She participated in overseas missions in Egypt (refugee project), Tunisia (the expulsion of the Ben Ali regime in 2011) and Kenya. She also worked as a solicitor at ATLEU (Anti Trafficking Labour Exploitation Unit).

Wendy worked at the Hackney Law Centre as a housing solicitor for seven years from 2009 before retiring in 2016. Prior to this, she served on the management committee in the early 1990s and in 2004–05 volunteered her services to the Law Centre’s housing advice team. She was a member of the Hackney Labour Party,

Over the course of her career, Wendy specialised in cases involving homelessness, serious disrepair, migrant women, and children. One such case, Harrow v Fahia, reached the House of Lords. Wendy’s efforts saw the definition of settled accommodation expanded to include people who had not possessed a formal tenancy at the time they became homeless. Wendy brought a determination and tenacity to her work, always seeking to achieve the best outcomes for her clients in the pursuit of social justice.

Alongside her career in housing law, Wendy was a dedicated campaigner and took part in international legal work.

She was elected to the Executive Committee of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, was a member of the Greek Solidarity Campaign, and between 2009 and 2011 travelled regularly to Tunisia with REMDH. Always relishing a challenge, in 2016, Wendy used her legal skills and fluent knowledge of French to volunteer with La Cabane Juridique and support refugees living in inhumane conditions in what was then known as the Calais “Jungle.”

For reasons of ill-health, bowel cancer, for which she had magnificent support in the NHS, and periods of emission, she did not stand for the Haldane Executive in January 2021.

Wendy represented Haldane on the Executive Committee of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights, of which Haldane was a founder member in 1993, and now has members in 23 European countries.

In November 2018 she participated in the work of theInternational Academy of the Aegean, in Nesin Mathematical Village, Şirince, Izmir, Turkey. At the online meeting in November 2020 she reported on Haldane’s Hostile Environments conference, and took on the leadership of the ELDH’s Subcommittee on the protection of refugees. The last online meeting of the ELDH Exec in which she participated was on 20 February 2024.

Wendy wrote poetry all her life, but after retirement published two collections: Love Lines (2020) and The Witching Hour (2021). On the evening of Friday 3rd September 2021 in a covered "arts venue" area at the side of St. Mary's Old Church in Stoke Newington, Wendy held a well-attended book launch for her second poetry collection, "The Witching Hour". All revenue from sales went to the Care4Calais Refugee Crisis Charity. You can watch Wendy reading her poetry in a moving video at https://youtu.be/5SjD2q2N3Ys

Bill Bowring

Wendy Pettifer (L) in conversation with a former colleague at a Law Centres reunion event in 2024.

Haldane’s Anti-Proscription Letter Sent to Ministers - Thank You to the Thousands Who Backed Our Call

As reported in the press and in the press release in our previous post, Haldane’s initiative against the proscription of Palestine Action received an overwhelming response, with thousands across society signing our letter to the Home Secretary.

The letter has now been sent to the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Justice and the Attorney General. You can access the full content of the letter below.

A huge thank you to everyone involved - to those who signed, and to all who helped share and distribute the letter.

Press coverage here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/01/yvette-cooper-plan-ban-palestine-action-un-experts-lawyers

PRESS RELEASE - THOUSANDS BACK HALDANE LETTER OPPOSING PROSCRIPTION OF PALESTINE ACTION

Please see attached press release in respect of our letter to the Home Secretary, now signed by thousands.

URGENT UPDATE: State persecution of pro-Palestine protest: how to resist? 16.06.25 - 6pm

Important message to all those planning to attend our event on Monday 16 June (State persecution of pro-Palestine protest: how to resist?)

Unfortunately, Kim Johnson MP will no longer be hosting us at Parliament so we are moving our event online. We are sorry for the short notice but we hope to welcome even more of you to join us online to discuss these important issues! Please register here to access the joining link:

http://bit.ly/4e37Fs5

In solidarity

Haldane Exec

Haldane Statement of support for Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign anniversary rally - Saturday 14th June 2025 at 1pm, assembling at 12.30pm in Barkers Pool, Sheffield.

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers sends our support & solidarity to the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign ahead of their anniversary rally and march on Saturday 14th June 2025 at 1pm, assembling at 12.30pm in Barkers Pool, Sheffield.

Members of our society have remained steadfast supporters of those involved in the miners’ strike of 1984-85 as well as representing some of the 95 miners charged with riot and lawful assembly on 18th June  1984. All 95 miners were acquitted at the trial held in July 1985 after the prosecution themselves offered no evidence following their own case collapsing.

Our President, Michael Mansfield KC represented some of those miners and we are extremely pleased to see that he is speaking at this year’s rally.

There has never been any accountability for the state explicitly being involved in operational politically driven policing at Orgreave and, indeed, during the whole miners’ strike.

The legacy of what happened 41 years ago can still be seen today and we urge anyone concerned about political interference in trade union activities and the right to protest gets behind the Orgreave Campaign and attends the rally in Sheffield on Saturday 14th June 2025.

Find out more about the event, speakers and the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign on their website https://otjc.org.uk/orgreave-rally-2025/

Update: State persecution of pro-Palestine protest: how to resist?

State persecution of pro-Palestine protest: how to resist?

Public Meeting: 16 June, from 6–8pm, Houses of Parliament (Committee Room 12)

https://www.haldane.org/state-persecution-of-pro-palestine-protest-how-to-resist

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our public meeting next Monday 16 June at 6pm. If you are planning to attend, please arrive early as seats are limited to 90. Please use the main visitor entrance, on Cromwell Green and allow extra time to pass through security as there may be queues. More information and map can be found here:

https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/directions/

PUBLIC MEETING 16.06.25 - State persecution of pro-Palestine protest: how to resist?

Houses of Parliament (Committee Room 12) on Monday 16 June, from 6pm – 8pm

No tickets necessary - just show up! Places to be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Join us for a vital public meeting at the Houses of Parliament (Committee Room 12) on Monday 16 June, from 6–8pm to explore how the Palestine solidarity movement can effectively resist increasing state repression. No tickets necessary - just show up! Places to be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Hosted by Kim Johnson MP and Lord John Hendy KC, and sponsored by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Jewish Network for Palestine (JNP), and Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), this free event brings together leading voices to examine the legal and political tools being used to suppress protest—and how we can push back.

Speakers include:

• Les Levidow (CAMPACC / JNP)

• Simon Natas (ITN Solicitors)

• Mira Hammad (Garden Court North Chambers)

• Kevin Blowe (The Network for Police Monitoring)

• Plus invited Palestinian activists

All are welcome.

Further details at:

bit.ly/3FabQFw

Upcoming Haldane event - 15.05.25 - ‘United States of Deportation’

Date: Thursday 15th May 2025

Location: The University of Law, 14 Store Street, Bloomsbury,  London, WC1E 7DE

Time: 7pm – 8:30pm

In-Person / Free

Join criminologist and international migration specialist Professor David Brotherton of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City for a talk and Q&A on the recent history and current status of deportation in the USA. Prof. Brotherton has worked extensively with marginalised communities in the Americas, and in particular the Dominican diaspora, with a focus on youth resistance, marginalization, and deportation. He is the co-author of the publications ‘Immigration Policy in the Age of Punishment: Detention, Deportation and Border Control’ and ‘Banished to the Homeland: Dominican Deportees and Their Stories of Exile’, amongst many others. We are honoured and delighted to welcome him back to his hometown, London, for this special, in-person event of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers.

Sign up at: https://bit.ly/3GOmSk5