Winter 1987/1988 No.4 AIDS: The Legal lssues by Linda Webster and Phillipe Sands A Regressive Act The David Alton Bill- by Pat McGarthy and Tia Cockrell Tony Gifford 0G on Ghile's Gonstitutional Fraud Gay Rights Matter by David Geer A Licence to Hate: lncitement to Racial Hatred by J. Dexter Dias The Poll Tar: No Representation Without Taxation? by Bill Bowring Book Reviews and News Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers -- rì Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers llALDAtllE NEWS PRESIDENT: JohnPlatts-MitlsQ.c Kader Asmal; Fennis Augustine; Jack Gaster; VICE Tony Gifford Q.C.; Tess Gill; Jack Hendy; PRESIDENTS: Helena Kennedy; Dr Paul O'Higgins; Stephen Sedley Q.C.; Michael Seifert; David T\rrner- Samuels Q,C.; Professor Lord Wedderburn A Case to Answer? Q.c. The Society's Report on the policing of the Wapping dispute received publicity on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. Nearly 2,000 copies have been sold through mail order and CHAIR: Joanna Dodson, News bookshops, Anyone who has still not purchased their copy can Barristers' Chambers, lReports order one from BEN EMMERSON,35, Wellington Street, 35 Wellington Street, London lVC2. Price: f2.50 plus 50p p&p. LondonWC2 Haldane News D.N. Pritt Memorial Lecture .....,........... 2 SECRETARY: Beverley Lang, 1 Dr Johnson's Buildings Day Courses for Trade Unionists Temple Haldane Ballot 0n Rule Changes ..........13 The Employment Committee has launched a highly London EC4. successful series ofday courses for trade unionists. Topics so 01-353 9328 far have been Industrial Tlibunal procedure and Public Order law in industrial disputes, For ãetails of further courses contact FIONA L'ARBALESTIER at 83, Ward Point, 2, TREASURER: PaulineHendy, Hotspur Street, London 5811. Cloisters, Pump Court, Features Temple, London EC4. Bhopal Action Group The Poll Tax: No Representation On 2nd December the Society hosted a meeting for Am'erican public interest lawyer, ROBERT HAGER who addressed MEMBERSHIP Bankim Thanki and Julian webb. Without Taxation? British lawyers on the legal problems arising in the SECRETARY: 16, Abbots Road, New Barnet, Herts ENs ¡DP BillBowring 3 multi-plaintiff action by Bhopal disaster victims against Union Carbide. Unfortunately we only had A Regressive Act: The D avid Alton Bill 2 weeks in which to organise the meeting and so it was not possible to circulate Pat McGarthy and Tia Gockrell 5 all members with details of the date. AIDS: The Legal Issues Linda Webster and Phillipe Sands 7 s0clAllsT LAWYER CPS: 0n the Front Line Local Government & Education June Tweedie........... 10 BILL BOWRING has The Education Bill Towards taken on EC responsibility for Local r the Government issues. He can be contacted at 4, Verulam Bldgs, Editorial Tim Kerr, Beverley Lang, TonY Metzer, Gray's Inn, Alistair Smail, Keir Starmer, June Tweedie, Break Up of State Education- London WC1, JANE RAMSEY has taken on EC Committee responsibility for Education issues. She can Heather Williams. I' Jeremy Smith........ ...,.. t be contacted at 494 Oakmead Road, London SW12. Gay Rights Matter Contributions from members are very welcome. lf you are interested in I or book reviews please contact HEATHER WILLIAMS David Geer .................18 writing articles I at: 1 Dr. Johnson's Buildings, Temple, London EC4' A Licence to Hate: lncitement to Racial ) Hatred Gay and Lesbian Rights Working J. Dexter Dias ......... 20 Party Advertising rates This group is now meeting regularly and is formulating advertising, The rates are: Chile's Gonstitutional Fraud Socialist Lawyer welcomes Society policy on changes in legislation as they affect lesbianÀ page f30 Tony Gifford 0G 22 Full f100 Ouarter Page and gay men. Anyone interested in becoming involved should f 15 Half page f60 Eighth Page contact ADRIAN FULFORD at 14, Tooks Court, Cursitor The rate for classified advertising is 25p per word. We can distribute insert Street, London WC2. adverts at Ê50 for voluntary organisations and at flOO for commercial undertakings. Please contãct HEATHER WILLIAMS at: 1 Dr Johnson's Buildings, Temple, London EC4. Reviews Alton Bill \ Opposition to the Alton Bill is being organised by CO-ORD Subsctiptions an umbrella group sponsored by the Haldane Society. The- (inclusive p&p); For 3 issues of Book Women's Subcommittee will be providing legal advice and Ê5.00 per annum for institutions and organ¡zations; Reviews ,24 support from lawyers. Anyone interested should contact I Ê4.00 per annum for individuals. Noticeboard ... 28 BARBARA COHEN at 27, Churchill Road, London NW5 \ 1AN. American power war when the U.S'A. Lastly, Ken Livingstone pictured a long term scenario for Only five months ago the Cabinet agreed on a four-year as the Vietnam (now found that the extent military commitments led to the future in which no superpower emerged as dominant phasing to be enjoyed only by Inner London and Developments in Criminology of its (Cmnd. financial burdens. This led to a and the present concentrations of power diffused. He Waltham Forest); ùhe Green Paper 9714) of The Crime Subcommittee has been organising a series of predicted that a weakened U.S.A. would no longer be able January 1986 proposed ten years! practitioners icy typifred bY the cold war and evening speaker meetings with academics and continued its to prevent the emergence of progressive regimes in the on the changing theories of criminology, for further details Ù.S. gradual decline, its world share".onomY of productive capacity third world. He acknowledged, however, that the U.S. Four taxes in one please contact PAM BRIGHTON at 111, Fortess Road, not diminishing. By the time the Reagan administration came would relinquish its spheres of military and political London NW5. influence to power, the U.S. economy was nolonger able to finance an without a bitter struggle. That could lead in the The poll tax will in fact be four taxes: a 'personal'charge armaments programme on the scale that Reagan short term to conflict and chaos before the emergence of a flat rate sum to be paid by everyone over 18; a'standard'- envisaged. However, the president had succeeded in such regimes. charge to be paid by owners and tenants ofsecond homes in frnancing such a policy by practising 'voodoo economics'; addition to personal poll tax; a 'collective'charge to be paid Employment Bill sucking in wealth from the domestic frnancial structures An Assessment by owners or landlords on behalf of residents of and from those of its allies. This had led to the build up of multi-occupied or communal accommodation; and the Employment Committee has A special subcommittee of the the huge budget defrcit. Any assessment of the strength of this analysis is diffrcult 'uniform business rate'to be set by central government the EMPLOYMENT and drafted numerous amendments to Ken Livingstone explained that the recent crash because ofits sheer generality. That is a criticism in itself. collected by local government, with the proceeds redistri- stage as we go to press' The BILL which is in its Committee represented the end of the frnancial'propping-up' Clearly, co-operation and economic progress between buted to local authorities according to the number Labour Party's exercise, of adults drafts have been madè available to the exemplifred by West Germany's refusal to cut its interest Eastern and Western Europe, and the de-nuclearisation of in their area. team on employment. frontbench rates in order to bail out the U.S. He predicted that the Europe, is a scenario that the left in Britain should be The problems associated with such a tax are already well recent crash signalled the start of the most severe world promoting. catalogued: according to Age Concern, one third of single recession since$he second World War. The future, he said, To some extent, Ken Livingstone's analysis is weakened pensioners will be worse off. Of voters as a whole, 56Vo will would be harsh for countries such as Britain which had to by the number of assumptions upon which it rests. It be worse off. The wealthiest LSVo of the population will gain Annual General Meeting bear the effects of the crash with a substantially eroded assumes a very direct correlation between economic, more than f2 per week. The poll tax will be twice as manufacturing base. He predicted that the poorest, military and political po\iler, so that a decline in the former expensive to collect as rates; and while rates evasion is Meeting will be held on Saturday 7th The Annual General weakest countries of the third world would suffer the most will lead to a swift and significant reduction in the latter. It currently IVo, poll tax evasion is likely to exceed, t\Vo. pm. to be proposed at the AGM May i988 at 2.00 Motions as the economic burdêns were shifted downwards upon also presupposes that the reaction of the U.S.A. to its Although it will not (as far as is known) be necessary to a proposer and seconder' to should be submitted in writing, by them. economic difïiculties will be substantial cutbacks in prove payment of the tax in order to vote, registration for Bldgs, Temple, London EC4 Beverley Lang, 1, Dr Johnson's military spending. It may be, at least in the short-term, the tax will be based on electoral MONDAY l1th APRIL. Written the register. It is known NO LATER THAN that the Reagan administration will attempt to reduce the that 7.6Vo of the eligible population are not on the register position of Chair, Secretary and nominations for the budget defrcit by other measures such as increased nationally; the frgure in London is about 75.2Vo. All the Treasurer and for the Executive Committee should be sent to taxation, direct or indirect, and./or greater cutbacks in the above figures are from the leaflet Replacing the Rates Bldgs, Temple, London EC4 Beverley Lang, 1, Dr Johnson's domestic spending programme.