Annual Highlights 2019
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ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2018-19 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS Click to navigate CONTENTS 1. Highlights of the Year 10. Events and Conferences 18. Student Fellowship Programme 3. Thank You 11. Eleanor Roosevelt Statue Unveiling 20. Bonavero Research 4. Institutional Structure 12. Human Rights Network events 21. Research Seminars and Roundtable Discussions 5. Benefactors 13. Confronting Illiberalism 22. Staff Activities 5. Advisory Council 15. Book Launches 25. Global Reach 6. Founding Principles 16. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition 24. Contact details 7. Staffing 17. Programmes, Community & Student 8. Social Media Enrichment 9. Kofi Annan’s Visit HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR The Bonavero Institute has been a busy place in its second year of operation. The year started with Secretary Hillary Clinton unveiling Penelope Jencks’ magnificent statue of Eleanor Roosevelt in the gardens of Mansfield just outside the Institute. Eleanor Roosevelt was the chairperson of Speakers included Adam Bodnar, the Polish the committee that drafted the Universal Ombud, Nic Dawes, Deputy Executive Director Declaration of Human Rights and guided for Media at Human Rights Watch, Michael Baroness Helena Kennedy QC its adoption by the United Nations General Ignatieff, the Rector of the Central European The Founding Fellow of the Bonavero Institute of Human Assembly in December 1948. She is an University, and Louise Richardson, the Vice- Rights and Principal of Mansfield College (2010-2018). inspirational historical figure: a woman with Chancellor of the University of Oxford. This little formal learning who became a global conference was the first of several important Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, former Principal of leader, striving untiringly with compassion and conferences hosted by the Bonavero Institute Mansfield College, was the driving force behind the commitment to promote and protect human during the year. Others covered themes such establishment of the Bonavero Institute. As one of rights. On the same evening, former principal as “Remaking the UK Constitution: Politics Britain’s most distinguished lawyers she has spent of Mansfield College, the Founding Fellow of the and Process”, “The Promise of Constitutions” her professional life championing civil liberties and Bonavero Institute, Baroness Helena Kennedy in Nairobi, “Current Issues and Common promoting human rights. QC, conducted a conversation with Secretary Challenges for the Protection of Human Rights Clinton on the theme of three remarkable in Europe, Africa and the Americas” and “Justice women: Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and for Transnational Human Rights Violations”. Helena Kennedy QC. Many of our conferences are co-hosted with partner organisations. The following day, the Bonavero Institute hosted a conference, Confronting Illiberalism, in which leading speakers from around the world Research discussed the role of three institutions key to An important development this year was the confronting illiberalism: the media, civil society appointment of a Head of Research to co- organisations and universities. ordinate and lead our research programme. 1 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS 2018-19 2018-19 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR I am delighted to report that Dr Liora Lazarus, • Hosting a series of important research- The clinic provides immigration advice to • The continued success of our Research Visitor a long-standing member of the Faculty of Law focussed roundtable seminars generally prisoners at HMP Huntercombe. A group of programme, in which we seek to attract both at the University of Oxford, who played a key drawing both practitioners and scholars to selected students attend the clinic fortnightly, scholars and practitioners (including judges) role in the planning and establishment of the discuss a range of topics including online and also spend time at Turpin & Miller assisting engaged in independent research on a topic Bonavero, commenced a three-year partial hate speech, the impact of court reform on with litigation that may arise. related to human rights or the rule of law. This secondment to the Bonavero at the beginning of access to justice, the establishment of an year we have hosted nine Visitors who have • A series of human rights careers evenings the year. Highlights of the research programme external independent review mechanism for come from every continent. We also hosted our hosted in partnership with the student this year include: Facebook and other social media platforms, first funded Research Visitor, a human rights organisation Lawyers without Borders. • Being one of the five partners, led by the the assessment and removal of judges in post- practitioner from Kenya, which was generously Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, that authoritarian transitions, judicial review in a • The expansion of our Student Summer supported by OSF-SA. digital age, the White Paper on Online Harms Fellowship programme which enables students have been awarded a major grant by the UKRI • The successful hosting of the global Price and legal interventions in transnational to spend periods of 10 weeks to 6 months Strategic Priorities Fund to establish a Policy Media Moot competition, with regional and Evidence Centre on Modern Slavery. human rights work. as law clerks, or as interns at human rights rounds hosted in seven different cities (Beijing, The Bonavero Institute will co-ordinate and organisations, gaining practical experience. • The establishment of a series of reports, Budapest, Cairo, Delhi, Johannesburg, Kiev and support researchers from across Oxford in The Oxford Pro Bono Publico internship the Bonavero Reports, which contribute to New York), and the finals in Oxford in April. relation to the Centre. project also forms part of this programme. contemporary policy discussions with human This extraordinary programme, which was This summer 17 students have spent time at 12 • The award of an eighteen-month grant by the rights and rule of law significance. Three established by the Programme for Comparative organisations including The Bingham Centre Oak Foundation to establish a comparative Bonavero reports were published during the Media Law and Policy in Oxford, enables us for the Rule of Law, Dejusticia (in Colombia), research project on Civil Liability for Human year. to foster conversations about freedom of the European Center for Constitutional Rights Violations. We have now appointed expression and media in many parts of the and Human Rights (in Berlin), JUSTICE, the Dr Ekaterina Aristova to join the Bonavero Programmes world. as a post-doctoral researcher to assist with Namibian Supreme Court, the Public Law the research. During the year, we both consolidated existing Project, Reprieve UK, REDRESS, the Social and • Promoting Oxford teams’ participation in programmes and introduced new ones, under human rights moots. This year Oxford teams • Attracting two British Academy Post-doctoral Economic Rights Institute (in Johannesburg), the energetic and able leadership of our Head of had a triumphant year, winning both the researchers to the Bonavero, both of whom Turpin & Miller, the UK Joint Committee on Programmes, Dr Annelen Micus. Highlights of ELSA European Human Rights Moot held have received three-year post-doctoral grants: Human Rights, and the United Nations Relief programming during the year have included: at the European Court of Human Rights in Dr Leah Trueblood and Dr Richard Martin, and Works Agency for Palestine in Jerusalem. Strasbourg and the Nelson Mandela global who will join our three existing post-doctoral • The development of a collaborative legal aid We are grateful to our generous benefactors human rights moot held at the Palais des researchers, Dr Oliver Butler, Dr Stefan Theil clinic in HMP Huntercombe, in partnership for making it possible for us to provide every Nations in Geneva. and Dr Michael Molavi, together with with the Centre for Criminology and Turpin & student with a living wage stipend during Dr Aristova. Miller, a firm of solicitors in Oxford. their fellowships. 2 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2018-19 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Thanks • Our generous benefactors who have made the establishment of the Bonavero Institute I should like to record my gratitude to a range possible and many of whom continue to be of people that have made the successes of the interested in and supportive of our work, year possible: in particular, Yves and Anne Bonavero and • The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor their family, the Potter Foundation, the Oak Anne Davies, and the administrative team Foundation, Alastair McBain, Eric L Lewis Universal Declaration of Human Rights led by Charlotte Vinnicombe, for their and Donald Glascoff, and Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the steady support throughout the year, • Finally the hard-working administrative equal and inalienable rights of all members • The members of our Management team led by the highly professional and Committee, and particularly both Les Green ever-cheerful Zoe Davis-Heaney. of the human family is the foundation of and Nick Bamforth who each served as freedom, justice and peace in the world. In addition, a warm thank you to all of you chairs of the committee for part of the year, who have showed interest in our work, • The members of our Advisory Council who participated in our events and programmes, not only attend our annual meeting, but and given us your support throughout are available to give guidance and support the year. We look forward to further throughout the year, collaboration with you all next year. • Our colleagues