The Alliance for Lawyers at Risk
and PBI UK welcome you to a
Reception and Private Viewing
of the “Magna Carta: Law,
Liberty, Legacy” exhibition
An event to honour the courage of
lawyers who take risks on a daily basis
to defend the rule of law
Charity no. 1101016
Tonight’s event
The Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy exhibition at the
British Library marks the 800th anniversary of this historic
document, which continues to represent an international
symbol of freedom and justice to this day.
The Alliance for Lawyers at Risk and PBI UK are hosting this
event to celebrate both the anniversary of the Magna Carta
and the courage of lawyers who take risks on a daily basis
to uphold the principles enshrined within it. The event will
provide an opportunity to hear about the impact of PBI’s
protection work on lawyers who operate under threat and the
role the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk plays in offering a collective
voice and their legal expertise to these courageous individuals.
Nepalese human rights lawyer Mandira Sharma will provide
her own testimony about her brave fight against impunity in
her country.
This evening will also be an opportunity to raise valuable
funds. The funds raised will contribute to the protection of
lawyers and other defenders of human rights and the rule
of law, enabling them to carry out their vital work in safety.
The donations will also go towards the Alliance for Lawyers
at Risk’s activities to help build the capacity and increase the
protection of lawyers under threat. PBI would like to thank the
trust which, as a long-term supporter, has offered to match
funds received from other donors in order to encourage them
to support PBI’s work on behalf of lawyers and human rights
defenders at risk.
You are invited to join us in a reception after these
presentations to be followed by a private viewing of the
Magna Carta exhibition which will be introduced by the
curator, Julian Harrison.
We are grateful for the generosity of the law firm Linklaters
LLP for donating the exhibition and private viewing and of
Blackstone Chambers, Leigh Day, Hart Publishing and Doughty
Street Chambers for sponsoring the drinks reception.
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2 Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy
“Those who work for the victims,
who demand justice, who want
equality, who want laws being
implemented, have to be fearful
all the time, [while] those who
commit the crime get promoted
and walk away freely. I think you
need to change that, otherwise
no one in society is secure.”
MANDIRA SHARMA
“It is very easy for lawyers in
this country to overlook the
immense challenges facing
human rights defenders in
more troubled parts of the
globe. Every day human rights
defenders face the risk of
violence, death and persecution
because of their extraordinary
efforts to improve the lives of
others and uphold the rule
of law. Engagement with the
Alliance for Lawyers at Risk
allows us to support and to
stand in solidarity with these
great human rights defenders”
RICHARD HERMER QC,
MATRIX CHAMBERS
“I know I’m being followed
and that my phone is
being intercepted but if I’m
accompanied there’s a permanent
reminder that the international
community is watching. My work
is not illegal, I’m helping the
vulnerable and the excluded.”
EDGAR PÉREZ
Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy
Magna Carta
“The significance of Magna Carta lay not only in what it actually said,
but in what later generations claimed and believed it has said.”
LORD BINGHAM
We are pleased to invite you to the private view of the Magna Carta exhibition.
The Magna Carta (The Great Charter) is one of the most famous documents in
the world. Originally granted by King John of England in 1215, Magna Carta
established the principle that everybody was subject to the law. Although
almost all its clauses have been repealed, Magna Carta remains a cornerstone
of the British constitution, and it has influenced lawyers, politicians and activists
worldwide.
Over the centuries, Magna Carta has been used and abused, revered and
revoked. Today, only a handful of its clauses remain valid in English law, most
notably that which gives ‘free men’ the right to justice and the protection of the
law. The different uses made of Magna Carta since the Middle Ages have helped
to shape its modern meaning, turning it into an international symbol of freedom
and a rallying cry against the arbitrary use of power.
(Extracts from Exhibition Guide)
Exhibition
The exhibition is the largest and most significant ever devoted to Magna Carta,
exploring the circumstances surrounding its adoption, as well as its enduring
influence down the centuries.
The exhibition includes two of the four original 1215 Magna Carta documents,
as well as some of the instruments they helped to inspire, including Jefferson’s
handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence and one of the original
copies of the US Bill of Rights, both on display in the UK for the first time.
It also notes Magna Carta’s influence on world figures such as Churchill, Gandhi
and Nelson Mandela, who referred to one of its key clauses – the right to a fair trial
– in the Rivonia trial.
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Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy 3
Speakers
This evening’s host is Sir Henry Brooke CMG.
Sir Henry is the Executive Vice-President of the Commonwealth
Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association and former Lord Justice of
Appeal and Vice-President of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division).
He has chaired the Bar’s Race Relations Committee, the Judicial
Studies Board’s advisory committee, which introduced racial
awareness training for English magistrates and judges, and the
Law Commission. He was also a member of the departmental
committee involved in providing for the smooth implementation
of the Human Rights Act and of the Court Service committee
responsible for modernising the courts. As a judge Sir Henry
travelled across the world to speak about human rights, penal
reform, access to justice and equality issues. He is an invaluable
long-term supporter of PBI UK, and is one of its patrons as well as
Honorary President of the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk. A registered
mediator, he is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Prisoners of
Conscience Appeal Fund and President of the Slynn Foundation. He
was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George in 2012 for his
services to justice reform in Albania.
The Rt Hon the Lord Scott of Foscote was a Law Lord and
remains a member of the House of Lords. During his career, he has
been Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster, Chairman of the
Bar, Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster, and a Lord
Justice of Appeal. He has also held the posts of Vice-Chancellor
of the Supreme Court, the head of the Chancery Division, and
Head of Civil Justice. From 1992 to 1995 Lord Scott conducted
a government inquiry into the export from the UK to Iraq of
defence-related equipment and related prosecutions. His Report
was published in February 1996. He was a Non-Permanent Judge
of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal from 2003 to 2011, and is
still a judge of the Civil and Commercial Court of Qatar. Lord Scott is
a patron of PBI UK, and was a member of the Alliance for Lawyers at
Risk delegation which visited Kenya in December 2014.
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4 Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy
Winner of Human
Rights Watch’s
Human Rights
Defender Award
in 2007
Mandira Sharma grew up in the remote western region of Nepal,
where she was the first woman in her village to become a lawyer.
After completing her legal degree in Kathmandu, she gained an
LL.M. from the University of Essex.
In 2001 she co-founded the Advocacy Forum to seek justice for
the victims of human rights violations committed during Nepal’s
civil war (1996-2006). The organisation has documented more than
8,000 cases of disappearances, torture, extra-judicial killings and
other serious human rights abuses.
In January 2013, the Advocacy Forum’s work on the case of
Colonel Kumar Lama led to his arrest in the UK under the principle
of Universal Jurisdiction, where he currently faces trial for the torture
of two men in an army barracks in 2005. The case could prove to be
hugely significant, setting a precedent for other countries to act in
line with their international obligations to investigate allegations of
torture and other human rights violations. The trial hearings, which
began in February, are set to resume in August.
As a result of their work on this case and others, Mandira and her
dedicated team of human rights lawyers have received numerous
threats. Due to her security situation, Mandira lives in the UK, where
she continues to dedicate herself to the struggle against injustice
and impunity in Nepal.
Dr Frederick Mulder CBE is a global expert in the field of
European printmaking 1470-1970, with particular expertise in the
work of Picasso. He has worked as a private dealer in this field, based
in London, since 1968.
He established the Frederick Mulder Foundation in 1986. His
philanthropy focuses on climate change, inequality and the
persistence of global poverty, and social change. He has played a
key role in encouraging others to give through his work as founder
of The Funding Network and co-founder of The Network for Social
Change. He was awarded the SPEARS Lifetime Achievement Award
in Philanthropy, 2012-13. He is a valued supporter and funder of PBI.
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Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy 5
Peace Brigades International
Human rights defenders – courageous people
who stand up for the rights and dignity of their
communities because they believe in peace and
justice for all – are at the heart of all we do at PBI. For
more than 30 years, we have provided protection,
support and recognition to local human rights
defenders who work in areas of repression and
conflict and have requested our support. In addition
to this international protective accompaniment,
we carry out protection and security training, and
facilitate advocacy tours for human rights defenders
so they can discuss their concerns with decision
makers at international level.
PBI helps to protect many human rights
defenders who are working to strengthen the rule
of law. As well as lawyers pursuing cases involving
state agents implicated in human rights abuses, they
include organisations and individuals supporting
victims of such crimes and those seeking truth,
justice and reparations for historical abuses that
their own families and communities have suffered,
as well as anyone challenging cultures of impunity.
Where the rule of law is weak, these defenders are
particularly vulnerable because their would-be
attackers are able to act without fear of punishment.
PBI advocates at all levels – from the soldier
at a local check point to national governments
and international bodies such as the UN – for
international human rights accountability. Our
international volunteers on the ground send a
powerful message that the world is watching and
prepared to act.
Many human rights defenders say they are
alive today because of PBI.
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6 Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy
Edgar Pérez is one of the
lawyers accompanied by PBI.
Due to his efforts to hold the
Guatemalan state to account
for crimes committed during
the country’s civil war, he has
suffered numerous attacks
including death threats. He
is currently representing
the victims in the first ever
genocide case against a
former head of state to be
heard in a Latin American
courtroom, the trial of expresident Rios Montt. During
the hearings, PBI has helped
ensure the safety of Edgar and
victims groups by carrying
out daily trial observation and
keeping key members of the
international community upto-date with developments.
The Alliance for Lawyers at Risk
has played a vital role.
Alliance for Lawyers at Risk
Lawyers in the United Kingdom
provide crucial support to
human rights defenders
through the Alliance for
Lawyers at Risk. Founded in
November 2010, the Alliance
draws on the expertise and
resources of the British legal
profession to link with lawyers
at risk abroad, helping to raise
awareness of their work and
keep them alive.
More than 130 lawyers,
judges, legal experts and
city firms are members
of the Alliance, including
prominent figures from the
legal community, as well as
firms and chambers and the
Bar Council (Bar Human Rights
Committee), the International
Bar Association, the Law Society
of England and Scotland, the
Solicitors International Human
Rights Group and the Colombia
Caravana UK Lawyers Group.
Here is just a sample of the
wide range of activities by
Alliance members in support of
lawyers at risk.
Colombia
The Alliance submitted
amicus briefs in appeals
against the 18-year prison
sentence for David Ravelo,
a longstanding human
rights defender, as well
as to support the lawyer
Jorge Molano’s efforts to
challenge the appeal by
soldiers convicted for the
2005 massacre in the Peace
Community of San Jose de
Apartado.
Guatemala
Members of the Alliance
submitted letters of concern
and amicus briefs to the
Constitutional Court of
Guatemala on the genocide
case against ex-president
Rios Montt, and arranged
a successful visit by
Edgar Pérez, the lawyer
representing the victims, to
raise awareness of the case
and discuss his protection
needs.
Kenya
The Alliance sent a
delegation to identify
training needs for the legal
community and human
rights defenders working
on legal cases and to
forge links between the
UK legal sector, in-country
authorities and human
rights lawyers there.
Nepal
Following the arrest of
Colonel Lama, the Alliance
sent letters to the Nepalese
and UK authorities
expressing concern for the
safety of Mandira Sharma
and her colleagues. The
Alliance has also sent a
delegation to Nepal to
identify training needs for
the legal community.
Mexico
The Alliance wrote a letter
to the president of Mexico
highlighting the state’s noncompliance with rulings by
the Inter-American Court of
Human Rights.
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Reception and Private Viewing of the Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy 7
We would like to thank the following sponsors,
who have made tonight’s event possible.
PBI UK is also grateful to the continuing
support of each of our patrons:
Lord Avebury
Sir Nicolas Bratza
Sir Henry Brooke CMG
Lord Carnwath CVO
Julie Christie
Lord Joffe
Sir Jeffrey Jowell KCMG QC
Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC
Professor Jenny Pearce
Sir Nigel Rodley KBE
Sir Peter Roth
Lord Scott of Foscote
Juliet Stevenson CBE
and Samuel West
And to its hardworking Lawyers
Advisory Committee:
Peace Brigades International UK Section
1b Waterlow Road
London N19 5NJ
Tel/Fax 020 7281 5370
WEBSITE www.peacebrigades.org.uk
EMAIL [email protected]
Sir Henry Brooke CMG (Honorary President),
Courtenay Barklem
Silvia Borelli
Michael Brindle QC
Sara Chandler
Mark Cunningham QC
Monica Feria-Tinta
Ole Hansen
Richard Hermer QC
Nicole Kar
Maya Lester
Sapna Malik
Kelwin Nicholls
Sir Peter Roth (Chair)
Ben Silverstone
Thanks also to the members of the Alliance
for Lawyers at Risk and other lawyers for their
pro bono work.