The British Fulbright Scholars Association

RECENT EVENTS

LONDON: 2009 Annual Lecture

“Taking Liberties – the Cost of Insecurities”

Baroness Kennedy, QC The BFSA Annual Lecture 2009 was delivered by barrister, writer and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy QC at the University of Notre Dame in London.

Following the AGM, BFSA Patron Sir Gavin Lightman introduced Baroness Kennedy and expressed our gratitude that she had accepted his invitation to present the lecture. His introduction highlighted her extraordinary career as one of Britain’s most acclaimed barristers, promoting and speaking for civil liberties and human rights, as well as her commitment to key government and charity functions.

In thanking Gavin for his invitation the Baroness humorously remarked how much she ‘relished’ the fact that she was no longer introduced as someone fighting for the “rights of women and other criminals”.

Addressing the audience the Baroness opened her speech with a quote which provided the leitmotif for her talk, and in fact her professional line of reasoning, as coined by Thomas Paine: “He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from repression.”

The 2005 terrorist bombings in London served as an example of how judges adhered to the rule of law while also being committed to taking public feeling into consideration. This underlying principle, she said, formed the foundations of fairness and national values. Britain’s long and pioneering position of liberal democracy and the rule of law particularly lends itself to the critical re-evaluation required over time to reflect international changes and innovation, both in terms of culture and technology.

In her opinion, globalisation is of special significance in the continued struggle to maintain this noble system. Globalisation, enabling valuable and important interchange of goods, services and data, poses a challenge to each nation’s rule of law, fairness and control. Common law, as established in Britain and used as a scaffold for numerous other countries (and, later, for the definition of human rights around the world) is generally weighted in favour of the citizen and defines the state as serving the people – in contrast to the Napoleonic code. It is this questioning relationship between state power and the rule of law which has maintained a fair and uncorrupted system in

Britain

while other countries have been thrown into autocracy and abuse of law by governments intent on promoting their own self interest.

The international terrorist acts of 9/11 and 7/7 were considered sufficiently, and universally, abhorrent to allow for the suspension of certain basic legal principles for the benefit of public protection. These terrorists’ acts - the Baroness articulated – were initiated by law offenders who intended to corrupt western traditions and principles. Judiciary rulings thus introduced were directed against those specific communities, and the perceived injustice of this as a means of public protection has often in itself led to rejection and criticism of state rules and conventions.

Anti-terrorism laws had in some cases prompted prejudiced and biased behaviour by police and judiciary alike. Citizens’ sense of fairness and the overall premise that every human has the same rights was affected by an immediate perception of fear. Baroness Kennedy highlighted the crucial necessity that no change in external threats should be countenanced with the lowering of standards when seeking to establish guilt.

Rather than directing vigilante operations against selected individuals, the Baroness maintained that control of criminal infrastructures, such as money laundering and border controls, and the use of sometimes controversial intelligence methods, have proven to be much more effective in combating terrorism. If security measures affect all citizens, they are sometimes perceived to be limiting individual liberties. This is inevitable when striking the fine balance between safety for the community and the freedom of the individual living in it, especially on international collaborations. From any government’s perspective there must consequently be the consideration of how to balance short-term success in the war on terrorism against the long-term estrangement of citizens from their political systems.

Baroness Kennedy closed with the statement that, while individual laws must remain naturally dynamic with the need to grow according to the challenges put to them, the underlying rules and ethics representing the backbone of liberal societies must not be corrupted. After much applause by the audience, David Lewis, in his role as newly appointed chair of the BFSA, thanked the Baroness for her enlightening words. He shared that in his career as an officer with the Metropolitan Police he had experienced the difficult relationship between law and law enforcement, knowing of several colleagues who had been accused of unfair treatment of suspects, and abuse of state-endowed power. He reflected the audiences’ gratitude to the Baroness for her significant insights into the rule of law behind everyday life in modern Britain.

Baroness Kennedy kindly agreed to publish the full text of her lecture on the BFSA homepage, which can be retrieved by clicking here.

LONDON: 2008 AGM & Annual Lecture

The BFSA AGM and Annual Lecture took place on 9th December 2008 at the University of Notre Dame, 1 Suffolk Street, London SW1

Our speaker, television producer, broadcaster and arts impresario Sir Jeremy Isaacs was born in Glasgow in 1932. He was educated in the classics at Merton College before becoming one of the most influential men in British television. He produced some of the most significant historical documentaries made for British television, including ‘Cold War.’ In the book of the same title Jeremy Isaacs and his co-writer Taylor Downing record epic history through the detail of human experience: the recollections not only of statesmen whose decisions led to these momentous events, but also of the ordinary men and women whose lives were bound up in those years of conflict. Cold War is the first comprehensive history for the general reader to benefit from the recent opening of Soviet, East European and Chinese archives as well as formerly classified American documents.

Autumn Reception: New Scotland Yard

The BFSA hosted this year's Autumn Reception on 7 October 2008 at New Scotland Yard in London. The event included welcome addresses by Dr. Philip Swan (Chair, BFSA) and Sir Paul Stephenson (Deputy Commissioner of Police, MET), followed by the keynote speech by Rt. Hon. Jack Straw.

Jack Straw spoke about the growing significance of maintaining strong trans-Atlantic ties, the value in studying the experiences and histories of other cultures, and the importance of having face-to-face interaction with overseas individuals and communities with differing political traditions and values, given the current state of international affairs. He shared what the Fulbright Scholarship has meant to him and his family and discussed his own experiences with meeting heads of states from around the world.

“Something which really came home to me during my time as Foreign Secretary was that international cooperation is as much about personal bonds and lasting friendships as it is about formal accords, bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding. I was particularly struck by the power of human interaction and relationships to heal division, to stimulate debate and even to change the path of a nation’s history for the better. “

The wine and capape reception followed, where the BFSA formally welcomed last year's Fulbright scholars back from their award year in the US and the current US scholars who have just arrived for their scholarship in the UK.

BFSA Lecture: Earl Spencer

Lincoln Academy, University of Lincoln hosted the BFSA Lecture from Earl Spencer in May 2008. Approximately 150 guests attended to hear a fascinating and informative talk about the Earl's latest book, Prince Rupert: The Last Cavalier. After early evening refreshments, Vice Chancellor Professor David Chiddick welcomed guests and expressed how delighted the university were to host the evening. BFSA Chair Dr. Philip Swan then presented a short talk on the ideals of Senator Fulbright and of his own experience as a Fulbright scholar at Westminster College, Missouri in 2006.

Charles Spencer was educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he obtained a degree in history. Placing his subject, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, in historical context as the grandson of James I of England, he embarked on an hour-long fascinating account of his life and exploits. For more details about this talk, please refer to the Summer 2008 Newsletter.

After answering questions from the floor, Earl Spencer signed copies of his book in the foyer where wine and canapes were served. The Earl has kindly donated 35% of the proceeds of each book sold at the event to the BFSA. The BFSA extends its thanks to Earl Spencer and Lincoln University for their incredible generosity and such a wonderful evening.

BFSA Trip to Iona

The BFSA trip to Iona, organized by the Scotland and Northern Ireland Chapter, featured a small group of happy travellers and one gorgeous Island. Five BFSA members made the long journey north to the Western Isles in April 2008 and were treated with an array of weather, organic food, and great company.

Iona is located on the west coast of Scotland, at the westernmost tip of the island of Mull. Although a tiny place, barely 3 square miles, Iona has had a huge influence on Christianity across Scotland and Europe during its history. St. Columba arrived on the island in 563 AD from Ireland with 12 followers, establishing a monastic community and began to convert pagan Scotland and northern England to the Celtic Church. Iona became a place of pilgrimage and a burial place for kings of Scotland, Norway, and Ireland. It is believed that the Book of Kells was created on the island in 800 AD shortly before Viking raiders stormed the island in 806 AD, killing many monks and eventually leading to the abandonment of the community.

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