On 1 April 2020 – 30 years to the day from the start of the protest – we will be holding a major conference in central London to discuss the past, present and future of prisons.

The root causes of the protests lay in many years of unjust and abusive prison policies and practices that affected not just Strangeways, but the British prison system as a whole. The conference will consider the deep history of British prisons, using the Strangeways protests as a signal moment in a wider history of problematic and abusive institutions.

Thirty years on, the dysfunctions and problems of the prison system that gave rise to the Strangeways protest are as pressing as ever. Indeed some would argue they are worse. Many prisons across Britain appear locked in a terminal spiral of decline and decay. The conference will take stock of the present state of prisons across the UK, and what current conditions say about British society and the way it treats some of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

The conference will also look forward, at the potential futures of prisons. Do prisons protect prisoners and the wider society? If not, do we need to think differently about the meaning of protection and safety in the twenty-first century?Are prisons eternal and immutable institutions, destined forever to be a feature of British society? Is it possible to think about different futures, including ones where far fewer people are imprisoned, or where prisons are no longer a mainstay of our response to crime?

Find out more about this event here.

A century ago this year, a committee of ten distinguished jurists from around the world gathered in The Hague. Their task: to prepare plans for the establishment of a World Court, with the jurisdiction to decide disputes between States on the basis of international law. The fruits of their labours live on today, and the International Court of Justice is at a historical high in its caseload. In this lecture, Judge Peter Tomka, senior Member and former President of the World Court, will reflect on the development of the Court, how it gained the confidence of the international community while making substantial contributions to international law and the challenges it faces in an era of increased uncertainty and change.

Find out more about this event here.

The Secret Barrister (2018), a Times bestseller, coincided with a ‘walk out’ by the Criminal Bar. A 2018 Working Lives survey conducted by the Bar Council found that barristers across England and Wales were struggling to cope with the demands of an under-resourced legal aid system. At significant cost to their health and job satisfaction, lawyers were straining to prop up a criminal and family justice system at the point of collapse. 

2018 witnessed the creation of a movement called ‘The Law Is Broken'. Has the Law been fixed?

No reservations are required for this lecture. It will be run on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the lecture 

Find out more about the event and the spoeaker, Professor Jo Delahunty QC, via the Gresham website.

Find out more about this event here.

Jointly hosted by the Jean Monnet Chair of Law & Transatlantic Relations, ISEL and ILAG

Speakers:

Dr. Stephen Allen, Queen Mary University of London School of Law 
Professor Elaine Fahey, City Law School, City, University of London
Dr. Kate Klonick, St. Johns University Law School, author of ‘Creating Global Governance for Online Speech: The Development of Facebook’s Oversight Board’, 129 YALE L. J. (forthcoming 2020)
Professor Andrew Murray, London School of Economics Law Department
Dr. Jed Odermatt, City, University of London
Dr. Maria Tzanou, Keele University School of Law

The panel debates the decision in C-18/18 and the wider legislative and regulatory context of borders, global social media and transnational regulation of the internet. In C-18/18 Glawischnig-Piesczek v. Facebookthe Court of Justice considered in a small three judge chamber litigation concerning an Austrian politician suing Facebook Ireland. There,  the Austrian Supreme Court referred to the CJEU whether a host provider was obliged to remove posts and whether national courts can order platforms to remove content only within the national boundaries, or beyond (‘worldwide’).

The decision of the Court has been seen as having the capacity to determine whether domestic courts can impose monitoring obligations on digital platforms, and of what nature, and how much power courts should be given in imposing their own standards of acceptable speech across national boundaries. It features as one of a host of decisions at national and supranational level as to social media, the internet and the high-profile GDPR but also other measures such as the E-Commerce Directive. Beyond the specificities of search engines, monitoring and data protection authorities and territorial limits, the panel reflects upon Facebook as a global titan of transnational social media activity and its constant battle to evade jurisdiction controls under EU law. It considers the litigation strategy of Facebook as to the EU-US Privacy Shield in litigation ongoing before the CJEU concerning data protection authorities powers, individual enforcement of transnational agreements and worldwide jurisdiction.

The panel features speakers from a variety of perspectives, namely, EU data protection law, public international law and transatlantic relations.

Find out more about this event here.

Coming to the end of her tenure as Gresham’s Professor of Law Jo Delahunty will explore what the future holds for the next generation of barristers: will they better reflect the society they serve in terms of background, ethnicity and gender? Is privilege and income as much of a division at The Bar as it is in society? 

What can institutions such as Universities, The Inns, The City, and Gresham do to reach out to students who may not have professionals in their family to open their eyes to their potential and the legal profession? Jo Delahunty's final lecture will sound the clarion call for action.

No reservations are required for this lecture. It will be run on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the lecture 

Find out more about the event and the speaker, Professor Jo Delahunty QC, via the Gresham website.

Find out more about this event here.

THE 2020 ANNUAL GRAY'S INN READING

The Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE, QC, FRSA is a barrister and member of the House of Lords, and from 2001-2011 acted as the UK's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. He will be speaking on terrorism, national security and the law.

Reservations Required

Tickets will be available from 10am on Friday 17th April

Find out more about the event and the speaker, Lord Carlile of Berriew QC via the Gresham website.

Find out more about this event here.