Law: Human Rights As Products With A ‘Use-By Date’? A Critique Of Modern UK Attitudes Towards The Human Rights Act with Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos from Goldsmiths, University of London

This webinar will draw upon, and introduce you to, research underpinning the ‘Knowing Our Rights’ project, led by Prof Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos at Goldsmiths, University of London. It will ask you to reflect on the value of human rights for our society: what are human rights? What do they do? Why do governments not like them? What can we do to protect them? Do we know our rights? Furthermore, if we were asked to surrender some (or all) of our rights (as we often are), would we be prepared to do so, and why would we give our consent to the taking away of what is inherent to us?

Dimitrios will invite you to give answers to these questions, taking examples of specific human rights: the right to have your private, online, social media, communications protected; the right against torture; the right to access to a lawyer. He will also ask you to consider the effect of rights in the context of the need for enhanced security, and effectively fighting against terrorism, for instance.

Finally you will be given the opportunity to vote on whether the UK should remain a party to the European Convention on Human Rights or move away from that system of international human rights protection.

Session Leader Biography (Please Click):  Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos

Suitable for: Specifically Year 12s and Year 13s students studying Law, History, Politics, Sociology/Criminology and/or students who may be interested in studying Law at university.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Please could students look at the Knowing Our Rights website by using this link: ‘Knowing Our Rights.’ Please also watch the following analysis from Sir Geoffrey Nice QC (Below):

The discussion in the video will offer an introduction to some of the key issues we will discuss.

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 to 5 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience.

Booking a Place: If you have a group of students that you would like to take part in this event, please contact us via email or via the contact form at the top right of this webpage (or at the bottom if you are on a mobile device). Subject to availability we will book a place for you. This event is free to schools and colleges.