EHRAC Launch 2003
The EHRAC office in London was formally launched at London Metropolitan University on 13th of May 2003 before an audience which included representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. Many of the attendees were members of the legal profession and human rights community in the UK including Liberty, Justice, Interights, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting and Amnesty. The Law Society, the Bar Human Rights Committee and the UN were among the other organisations represented.
Lord Judd, former British Government Minister, and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe delivered a keynote speech on the continuing cycle of human rights violations in Chechnya, drawing on his experiences as Parliamentary Assembly Rapporteur on Chechnya, followed by a brief question and answer session chaired by Professor Bill Bowring. (A transcription of Lord Judd’s speech is available here>>
The University’s Vice-Chancellor for Research, Chris Topley, introduced the event, linking the work of the Centre with the social justice aspects of the University’s mission statement. Philip Leach and Bill Bowring spoke about EHRAC’s remit and objectives, followed by Becky Hess, Co-ordinator of Amnesty International’s Justice for All in Russia Campaign.
Amnesty International co-sponsored the event with Bindman & Partners, a leading firm of solicitors in London dealing with human rights and social justice cases. The evening event was followed by a reception held at the University.
