22/02/2017 – Current Awareness

EVENT: RSA – Prison Reform at a Crossroads

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The prison reform agenda in the UK has reached a critical stage of development with new legislation expected in the coming months and the expansion of the ‘Reform Prisons’ model which gives governors greater freedoms.

Nils Öberg will join Rachel O’Brien, who has led the RSA’s work on prisons, to share his experience in prisons and probation – the results, challenges and what the reform agenda in the UK can learn from this.’

Date: 8th March 2017, 6.00-7.00pm

Location: Great Room Auditorium, RSA House

Charge: Free, booking required

More information can be found here.

EVENT: University of Westminister – Righting Wrongs: Enforcing Human Rights, Administering International Criminal Justice Conference

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘Westminster Law School are pleased to host a conference exploring the connections between human rights and international criminal justice from the perspective of the institutions of international criminal justice, canvassing academic, practitioner and advocacy vantage points. In particular, this conference seeks to untangle the relationship between international human rights law and international criminal law in the investigation, prosecution and judgment of international crimes.

We are delighted to welcome academics, practitioners and civil society participants to Westminster for the conference, including:

Professor Rob Cryer, University of Birmingham,
Rogier Bartels, Legal Officer in Chambers of the International Criminal Court and
Edward Jeremy, Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’

Date: 10th March 2017, 10.00am-5.00pm

Location: Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4-12 Little Titchfield Street (Westminster Law School, Regent Library)

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

EVENT: IALS – The Bubble Reputation: Protecting, Inflating, Deflating and Preserving It

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘Speaker: James Michael, Senior Associate Research Fellow, IALS; Chair, IALS Information Law and Policy Centre

Chair: Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC

Does, or should, everyone have a right to a reputation, and if so, should that be the reputation that is desired, deserved, or created? If there is a right to a reputation, should it be malleable to the point of infinity, to be extended, amended, or deleted? And is a posthumous reputation the property of the dead, the next of kin, or a larger community? Cases and statutes from various jurisdictions give varying answers, sometimes reflecting national and regional cultural and historical differences, but the contrasts may point the way for international standards.’

Date: 8th March 2017, 6.00-8.00pm

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

Charge: Free, booking required

More information can be found here.

Why pass FOI laws? The politics of freedom of information – The Constitution Unit

Posted February 22nd, 2017 in foreign jurisdictions, freedom of information, legislation, news by sally

‘Why are there now more than 100 freedom of information laws around the world, even though they help opponents and hinder governments? In a new book, published this month by Manchester University Press, Ben Worthy investigates. He concludes that the main reason is that as a symbolic pledge in opposition FOI laws are hard to resist. Once in power these promises are hard to back down from, though experience suggests that proposed laws are often watered down before being enacted. These findings are summarised here.’