Socialist Lawyer 72
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SL72_cover_pages.qxp_FINAL 14/02/2016 14:40 Page 1 SocialistLawyer Magazine of the HaldaneSociety of Socialist Lawyers Number 72 February2016£3 Women fightingback: international and legal perspectives ‘Radical, working class, anti-racist, anti-colonial feminism’ Angela Davis SL72_pp2-3_contents&editorial.qxp_print 14/02/2016 14:09 Page 2 Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers PO Box 64195, London WC1A 9FD www.haldane.org The Haldane Society was founded in 1930. It provides a forum for the discussion and analysis of law and the legal reportdigital.co.uk / Hurd Jess Picture: system, both nationally and internationally, from a socialist perspective. It holds frequent public meetings and conducts educational programmes.The Haldane Society is independent of any political party. Membership comprises lawyers, academics, students and legal workers as well as trade union and labour movement affiliates. President: Michael Mansfield QC Vice Presidents: Geoffrey Bindman QC, Louise Christian, Liz Davies, Tess Gill, Tony Gifford QC, John Hendy QC, Helena “A hushed reverence met Professor Kennedy QC, Imran Khan, Catrin Lewis, Angela Davis, who – for many – is almost a figure of revolutionary Gareth Peirce, Michael Seifert, David Turner- mythology.” See pages 16-21. Samuels, Estella Schmidt, Phil Shiner, Jeremy Smith, Frances Webber & David Watkinson The current executive, elected at the AGM in December 2015 is as follows: Chair: Russell Fraser ([email protected]) Vice-Chairs: Natalie Csengeri & Michael Goold Secretary: Stephen Knight Number 72, February 2016 ([email protected]) Treasurer: Rebecca Harvey 4 News & comment The 32 Gaza The impact of Membership Secretary: Subashini refugee crisis: law and the battle conflict on women Wafa Nathan ([email protected]) for Europe’s soul; Cuban Five Kafarna looks at the results of Socialist Lawyer editor: Nick Bano free – and welcome here; Young interviews with women from the ([email protected]) Legal Aid Lawyers column; Gaza strip who went through the International Secretary: Bill Bowring & Carlos Orjuela ([email protected]) Transitional justice in Colombia; 2014 war Executive Committee: Unite against the Housing Bill; 36 Widespread and Robert Atkins, Martha Jean Baker, Anjenna ‘Full-frontal attack on trade pervasive violation of our Balasingham, Jacob Bindman, Aphra Bruce- unions’; and Day of the Jones, Tanzil Chowdhury, Kat Craig, Liz human rights Rashida Manjoo Davies, Emily Elliott, Elizabeth Forrester, Owen Endangered Lawyer on how to effectively challenge Greenhall, Richard Harvey, Paul Heron, John 12 Yes we can! Justice Alliance violence against women Hobson, Leslie Jaji, Sophie Khan, Siobhan Lloyd, Natasha Lloyd-Owen, Hannah Lynes, rally against legal aid cuts 39 Our right to choose: Anna Morris, Helen Mowatt, Amy Murtagh, 14 International Women’s challenging the state’s Declan Owens, Laurence Overend, Sam Conference Women fighting control over women’s Parham, Wendy Pettifer, Tim Potter, Ripon Ray, Brian Richardson, Catherine Rose, back: international and legal bodies Fighting for gender Lyndsey Sambrooks-Wright, Virginia Santini, perspectives equality helps the struggles for Judith Seifert, Shanthi Sivakumaran, Debra abortion rights, reports Virginia Stanislawski, Adiam Weldensae 16 ‘Radical, working class, anti-racist, anti-colonial Santini feminism’ Natalie Csengeri 42 The ‘Black Sash’ SocialistLawyer hears Angela Davis’ address to movement Rheian Davies looks Editor: Nick Bano the Conference at the group of women whose Assistant editors: Russell Fraser & Tim Potter Special thanks to Shanthi Sivakumaran, 22 Reports from the role was recognised by Nelson Emily Elliott, Michael Goold, Stephen Knight, International Women’s Mandela on his release Declan Owens & Isabel Baylis Cover image: Jess Hurd Conference 44 Reviews Play: ‘United We Design: Smith+Bell (www.smithplusbell.com) 24 Icons: Railton Road Stand’; books: ‘Jeremy Print: The Russell Press Artwork at Brixton Arts Centre Hutchinson’s Case Histories’ by (www.russellpress.com) Thomas Grant QC; ‘Lions Under Online distributor: Pluto Journals 28 Migrant women battle for (www.plutojournals.com) The Throne’ by Stephen Sedley; access to maternity care and ‘Northern ReSisters: ISSN: Rayah Feldman on policies Conversations with Radical Print 0954-3635 towards maternity care in 14 Women’ by Bernadette Hyland Online 2055-5369 European countries 2 Socialist Lawyer February 2016 SL72_pp2-3_contents&editorial.qxp_print 14/02/2016 14:09 Page 3 from the editor Share and I had the unique pleasure of driving This internationalism and breadth Angela Davis – one of the of coverage reinforced the share alike International Women’s ‘awareness of interconnectedness’ Conference’s keynote speakers – that Angela Davis noted as being so from the airport. We crawled important: a Palestinian women’s through London looking at the rights activist talked to a former physical evidence of the housing UN special rapporteur, grassroots crisis, discussing austerity and the activists engaged with academics role of lawyers, and puzzling over a and young lawyers worked with roadside sign advertising ‘terrorism Haldane stalwarts. awareness week’. I wondered what This edition of Socialist Lawyer message a septuagenarian radical focuses on the conference. It’s a would have for today’s feminists. record for those who attended, a “Intersectionality” she told the report for those who didn’t and an conference “means we can focus analysis of some of the key points. on one particular struggle, but Regrettably there isn’t space to do with an awareness of inter - justice to all the topics, speakers connectedness”. and participants. However, the That, for me, was the real value of event itself sparked so much November’s conference. Many of us interest, debate and energy that this specialise in one cause or area of magazine need only be a law, and it was a reminder of the supplement. context in which we carry out our Davis also praised the women- work as socialist lawyers. Comrades focused collective leadership of shared their outstanding work in many of today’s social movements. areas that aren’t always at the It was inspiring, then, to see that forefront of our minds, as well as kind of leadership in so many of the discussing issues of overarching delegates and groups that attended importance such as the refugee – including the IWC’s phenomenal crisis, austerity and violence against organising committee. women and girls. Angela and I drove around The conference hosted Parliament Square to – I’m not extraordinary women: women making this up – ABBA’s ‘Knowing involved in struggles related to Me, Knowing You’ on the radio. migration, women’s bodies, Perhaps that epitomises the women in work, women in conflict conference: engaging in politics and many others. There was a through a greater understanding of strong international feel, including each other, and each other’s speakers from Palestine, Lebanon, struggles. Algeria, Cuba and South Africa. Nick Bano, editor Socialist Lawyer February 2016 3 SL72_pp4-13_news.qxp 14/02/2016 14:17 Page 4 News&Comment conspicuously absent. Peers also expressed concerns The refugee crisis: about the EU agreement with Turkey to readmit refugees who had passed through. He cited law and the battle Turkey’s derivations from the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, which mean its provisions are applicable only to for Europe’s soul those fleeing European countries. With asylum seekers being denied access to employment and he refugee crisis exploded member states. With peak education as well as reports of into public consciousness in numbers of 5,000 people per day refoulement, it is not clear that T2015. Almost unprecedented landing on the shores of Lesbos Turkey is safe or desirable. media coverage saw scenes of alone, the need for a coordinated Frances Webber addressed the despair beamed from the beaches and unified response was obvious. crisis from a different perspective, of the Mediterranean to living But it was pointed out that we focusing on the rationale behind rooms across the continent. Europe have seen “a pattern of borders the lethargic response. She posited could no longer look the other way. being closed and fences being that the public discourse in Europe At the end of October the Haldane raised”, as member states shunt “has treated mass immigration of Society was fortunate to host EU refugees between themselves. refugees as a threat”, seeing the Law Professor Steve Peers and Hungary was singled out for its phenomenon in militaristic terms former immigration barrister (and particularly hostile approach to that require military responses. Haldane Society vice-president) asylum seekers, criminalising This is exemplified by the vast Frances Webber, and both analysed those who attempt to cross from industry that has grown around responses to the worst migration Serbia, and returning them across the detection, detention and crisis since the end of the Second the border with a conviction that removal of migrants. Frances World War. could prevent them from re- highlighted the fact that it is not Steve Peers centred his analysis entering the Schengen Area. social workers who greet asylum on the reactions of the EU and its The disunity that has hindered seekers but the border force of an effective EU response was also Frontex, as a clear indication that clear from discussions over “humanitarian concerns towards quotas. In an attempt to ease the refugees have always taken second strain on Italy and Greece, place”. also seen the best of the people of estimated to have received 1 This approach is evident in the Europe. Frances keenly described million people between them, the mistreatment that many have the strong support people have EU set an initial target of 40,000 suffered. There are reports of shown for refugees through mass people to be taken in by member asylum seekers in the Czech demonstrations, which saw tens of states on a voluntary basis. States Republic being routinely strip- thousands pour onto streets and only offered to take 32,000. It searched in an attempt to seize the demand action in support of took majority voting to force funds to pay for their detention.