Month: September 2013

“Sir John Laws has served in the Court of Appeal and Privy Council since 1999 and has been responsible for a large number of important cases including Thoburn v Sunderland City Council in which he recognised principles of the common law that collided with the notion of Parliamentary Sovereignty. Sir John is also a constitutional jurist of note, having written several extra-judicial contributions that underline the importance of the rule of law and the courts in a democracy so that sovereignty is founded in the constitution, not just Parliament.

The Hamlyn Trust was created in 1948, by Miss Emma Hamlyn in memory of her father, a solicitor and Justice of the Peace in Torquay, Devon. The object of the Trust is to further knowledge and understanding of the law; this is achieved through an annual series of public lectures by distinguished judges, legal practitioners, academic lawyers and other eminent speakers.”

Date: 27th November 2013, 6.00-7.00pm

Location: Inner Temple Hall, Inner Temple, London EC4Y 7HL.

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

“This expert conference breaks new ground in exploring how human rights law (HRL) is shaping the protection of refugees worldwide. A high-level event, it brings together exciting new contributions from more than twenty-five leading international specialists in the refugee protection and HRL – including experts from UNHCR – to take stock of transnational developments in law and practice over the past twenty years, and to cultivate new approaches to the topic.”

Date: 13th-14th November 2013

Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR

Charge: See website for details

More information can be found here.

“Although there are no official statistics available, experience and research suggest that a large proportion of women seeking asylum in the UK (claim to) have experienced rape in their country of origin. The role and relevance of this sexual violation within their asylum claim will vary, of course, but for many it will form a key part of the narrative as to why the woman fled and why she fears return. Despite this, there has been little dedicated attention afforded to the ways in which claims of rape emerge within the asylum process, of the barriers that might prevent disclosure, or of the difficulties which decision-makers might face in responding to and evaluating the credibility of such claims. In a context in which concerns have been expressed regarding the handling of women’s asylum claims and there is a wealth of pre-existing research in the criminal justice system pointing to the tenacity of dubious expectations regarding ‘normal’ rape victim’s behaviour during and post-assault, the researchers set out to subject these factors to more rigorous scrutiny.”

Date: 28th October 2013, 4.00-6.00pm

Location: Room G37 (Ground Floor), Senate House, South Block, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.