“Rape is a heinous crime but does it demand special treatment? Do rule of law and fairness pay a price? Helen Reece leads a debate on whether rape is, in some sense, different.”

Date: 30th October 2013, 6.30-8.00pm

Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

“The UK has no constitution written down in one document. Instead it has laws, conventions, practices, activities scattered all over the place that constitutional lawyers gather together and describe as the UK constitution. In a unique project, LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) and Department of Law are coming together with the LSE Public Policy Group and LSE Democratic Audit to pioneer the crowdsourcing of a new UK constitution to ask members of the public to participate in, advise on and eventually to draft a new UK constitution. Join an expert panel to have your say on what should be included and to create this important new document.”

Date: 8th October 2013, 6.30-8.00pm

Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

“This is a must attend event for solicitors who are involved in human rights cases and and issues that have a human rights focus.

Why attend?

The event looks at the current challenges to and protection of human rights in an increasingly globalised society. The conference comprises a mixture of keynote addresses, breakout sessions as well as informal opportunities to exchange ideas and build relationships.

Areas examined includes:

• Is a high quality defence a human right?
• What is the lawyers role in raising issues in the corporate world?
• Trafficking and children’s rights
• Disability, children, women and HR issues

Who should attend?

• Human rights solicitors
• Human rights supporters and activists
• Academics
• Policy makers
• Law students with an interest in human rights or discrimination law.”

Date: 30th October 2013, 9.00-5.00pm

Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL

Charge: See website for details

More information can be found here.

“In April 2013, the Ministry of Justice presented its proposals for price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal defence work. In June, the Law Society proposed its alternative approach, which would require that PCT is shelved. Shortly afterwards, the Ministry of Justice announced that it would be revising its approach to allow clients to choose their own solicitor, and that there would be a further consultation in September 2013.”

CPD hours 2.0

Date: 21st October 2013, 8.30-11.00am

Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

“Why attend?

– Hear from litigators on the ground how the funding reforms have affected their legal businesses
– Find out what strategies firms are developing to make use of CFAs/DBAs in the new funding landscape
– Discover what clients’ attitudes have been to the new options available
– Learn how to maximise your client’s ability to bring litigation through the use of third-party funding and insurance
– Find out how costs budgeting works and what your firm needs to do to comply with the rules and turn them to the firm’s advantage

Who should attend?

– Commercial litigators
– Barristers practising in commercial litigation
– Professionals involved in law firm management
– Finance and costs professionals”

CPD Course

Date: 15th October 2013, 1.15-5.30pm

Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL

Charge: See website for details

More information can be found here.

“Lord Phillips will discuss a practice recently introduced into English procedure in relation to ‘closed material’. This is a controversial practice under which one party, usually the State, puts before the Court evidence of a sensitive nature that is concealed from both the public, and the other party. Initially Parliament introduced this practice in a number of areas of public law where sensitive evidence is likely to be important. For example, closed material can be placed before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which handles appeals in immigration or deportation cases where evidence is involved whose disclosure would often involve a threat to national security.”

Date: 30th September 2013, 6.30-8.30pm

Location: Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

“Public Lecture by David Bailey, Brick Court Chambers and Visiting Professor, King’s College London

Professor Margaret Bloom in the chair.”

CPD accredited

Date: 24th September 2013, 12.30-1.30pm

Location: Inner Temple Hall

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

“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.