Thomas More Institute

In normal circumstances the criminal justice system can deal fairly and properly with allegations of criminal wrong- doing. However, the body of anti-terrorism law since 9/11 has put serious strain on fairness and justice by creating indefinite detention without trial, house arrest and secret hearings that fall short of trial. The European Court of Human Rights and UK judges are criticised by politicians and press for upholding human rights. Now the Coalition Government proposes to extend secret hearings across the whole of the civil court system where security issues arise. What ethical and legal dilemmas do we face in countering terrorist threats? Are more secret hearings the answer?

The Speaker is a Barrister, and Lecturer in Public Law at the Kent Law School, as well as Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute and Joint Convenor of the UK Constitutional Law Group. He has published on the law relating to terrorism and is editor (with Prof. Maurice Sunkin) of The Nature of the Crown(OUP 1999). He was invited as an expert on the Royal Prerogative to give evidence to the inquiry into war powers conducted by the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution. In 2008 he was invited to give evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill. In March 2011 he gave evidence to the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. His current research on Parliamentary oversight of the intelligence and security services is sponsored by the British Academy.

If you are interested in attending please contact David Wyatt (david.wyatt@ThomasMoreInstitute.org.uk) to receive an invitation.