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Law/Politics/Human Rights: Sending Refugees Off To Rwanda? Where Next For Law, Politics and Human Rights In The UK? With Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos From Goldsmiths, University of London
March 11 @ 12:45 - 13:30
In this Law, Politics and Human Rights session, Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos, a distinguished criminal law and human rights academic from Goldsmiths, University of London, who is also an Associate Tenant at leading barristers’ set, Garden Court Chambers, will discuss the UK government’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda, reflecting on how the UK Supreme Court struck the Rwanda scheme down, and offering an analysis of how the government will now respond.
The government should abandon this ill-thought-out, cruel, counter-productive, uneconomical and deeply populist plan, which flies in the face of our commitment to international human rights, Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos will argue. But he will also explain that the government rather appears intent to continue to defend the Rwanda scheme, to satisfy the right wing in the Conservative party.
The session will also offer an opportunity to explain how contested governmental policy may end up being debated at the UK Supreme Court, as the Rwanda policy was, on this occasion: what are the various steps that must be taken, and which are the institutional parties involved? Who were the solicitors, barristers, governmental lawyers, NGOs and international human rights organisations who worked on this seminal case, and how have they helped shape the judgment of the five Justices panel at the Supreme Court?
Professor Giannoulopoulos will conclude by offering contextual analysis of the Rwanda scheme; it is part and parcel of a campaign to diminish the influence of the European Court of Human Rights. This anti-human rights campaign has been ongoing since at least 2010. It follows on, ideologically, from Brexit and aims to strengthen its legal isolationist effect.
Lecturer Profile (Please Click): Professor Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent). The workshop will be of interest to students taking Politics, Law, Geography, History, Sociology and related social science subjects. We welcome groups and individual students and teachers.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: