The Annual Harry Weinrebe Memorial Lecture: Defending the Right to a Fair Trial

Event Details

Although it has long been enshrined in international treaties and national constitutions, the right to a fair trial continues to be elusive around the world, with many governments using courts to punish their critics. In 2021, Professor Amal Clooney and Professor Philippa Webb published 'The Right to a Fair Trial in International Law' (Oxford University Press), which contains not only all applicable international standards but also a comprehensive overview of the jurisprudence relating to the right to a fair trial drawn from international criminal courts, regional human rights courts and UN bodies.

The book is already considered "a formidable reference tool" (Judge Sir Howard Morrison QC); "a tour de force" (Karim Khan QC, Chief Prosecutor, International Criminal Court); "a must-read book for everyone in the field" (Judge Françoise Tulkens, former Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights) and "the definitive work now on fair trial rights" (Professor Beth van Schaack, Stanford University).

Chaired by The Rt Hon. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, the Annual Harry Weinrebe Memorial Lecture will provide an opportunity for the authors to discuss the key conclusions in the book and the challenges of international legal protection posed by a range of factors, including technology and the pandemic. They will also consider examples of recent miscarriages of justice, such as the case of Maria Ressa, the Nobel Prize winning journalist, currently facing the rest of her life in prison in the Philippines. Distinguished discussants, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws QC and The Rt. Hon. Lady Arden of Heswall DBE, will offer their reflections on the significance of the book and the implementation of fair trial rights in practice.

Convened by Kristin Hausler, Dorset Senior Fellow, Director of the Centre for International Law, British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
  

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Moderator:

The Rt Hon. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury

Speakers:

• Professor Amal Clooney, Doughty Street Chambers, Columbia Law School, and Clooney Foundation for Justice
  
• Professor Philippa Webb, King's College London and Twenty Essex

 
Discussants:

• Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws QC
• The Rt. Hon. Lady Arden of Heswall DBE