A solicitor at Harrison Bundey in Leeds explains how, had police officers taken a young black man, who had swallowed packets of drugs, straight to hospital, he might still be alive. On 20 February 2012, an inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure on Reece Staples, who was 19 when he died in police custody
Theme: Alternative voices on integration
Defending human rights defenders
A conference bringing together international human rights defenders. Friday 24 February 2012, 8.30am-8pm The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA Workshops include: Criminalisation and victimisation Censorship and media attacks Repression by non-state actors Marginalised and contested rights Related links Download a programme here. Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers Amnesty International
Secret justice = injustice
Frances Webber assesses proposals in the coalition’s Justice and Security green paper to extend secret evidence regimes to any civil proceedings. ‘I can still recall my deep feeling of shame when I heard the appellant ask the judge the question: why are you sending me to prison? To which the judge replied: I cannot tell
Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks
The launch of Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks (MAMA), a project providing support to victims and witnesses of anti-Muslim hate crime, recording incidents and highlighting the scale of attacks. Tuesday 21 February 2012, 1.30pm Central London venue Related links Faith Matters
Racism and the use of force during deportations
The parliamentary Home Affairs Committee has recently published a report on rules governing enforced removal from the UK. Concerns surrounding the treatment of people being removed by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) [and its contractors] have been growing in light of recent events. In particular, the death of Jimmy Mubenga in October 2010 during a
Joint enterprise, racism and BME communities
An interview with Gloria Morrison, Campaign Coordinator of JENGbA (Joint Enterprise – Not Guilty by Association) which is a prisoners’ support group made up of the friends and families of people convicted under the doctrine of joint enterprise. Liz Fekete: Since its launch in 2010, JENGbA has pointed out that the law on joint enterprise
Total disaster
Bernard Hogan-Howe’s recent talk on ‘total policing’ at the LSE didn’t go down too well. ‘Total policing’ is how the Metropolitan Police chief, Bernard Hogan-Howe, describes the criminal justice strategy he is importing into London. And part of this strategy, he says, is regularly communicating with the public. At a talk at the London School
Extradition and human rights
A talk on experiences of extradition (including under the European Arrest Warrant) and discussion of recent cases. Tuesday 17 January 2012, 6.30pm College of Law, 14 Store Street, London WC1E 7DE (Goodge St tube) Speakers: Jago Russell – Chief Executive, Fair Trials International Mike Evans – solicitor, Kaim Todner Related links Haldane Society of Socialist
Germany’s Stephen Lawrence
How can lessons from the Lawrence case be applied to that of Oury Jalloh, who was burned to death in a German police cell seven years ago? Last Tuesday, here in the UK, two men were found guilty of the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence. This verdict, eighteen years in the making, gave the nation
96 murders since Stephen Lawrence’s
The convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris will be bitter-sweet vindication for the family of Stephen Lawrence who have fought an 18-year campaign for justice. No family has campaigned as this one – taking their own evidence to the police, bringing a private prosecution against the alleged killers, demanding and getting a public inquiry