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Question Time: Perspectives on the 'War on Terror'

Podcasts for this event available below!

Held on the 14th May, this question time event provided an opportunity to question four experts on the ongoing 'War on Terror'.  Below is a brief profile of the panel for the event and also available are audio recordings of the responses of both Professor Conor Gearty and Professor Clive Jones. The responses of Joanne Brooks and Sarah Connolly are absent, as they have not given their permission for these to be included.

This event was hosted by Law, PAIS, Warwick Business School, Sociology with the Institute of Advanced Study. 

Professor Conor Gearty (Centre for the Study of Human Rights, LSE)

Conor Gearty is Professor Human Rights and Director of the LSE’s Centre for the Study of Human Rights.  His research focuses on civil liberties, terrorism and human rights.  He publishes across a range of academic, literary and political journals and his most recent book, Civil Liberties, was published in 2007.

  

Professor Clive Jones (University of Leeds)

Clive Jones is Professor of Middle East Studies and International Politics in the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds. Among his recent publications are Britain and the Yemen Civil War (2004), Israel: Challenges to Identity, Democracy and the State (2003)and as co-editor. The al-Aqsa Intifada: Between Terrorism and Civil War (2005).

 

Sarah Connolly (Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Sarah Connolly is head of the Counter-Terrorism Research Group in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.  Since joining the FCO as an international terrorism analyst in 2004, she has worked on a series of projects, including detailing al-Qa‘ida’s post-2001 structure, outlining the threat to Europe from returning jihadis, and comparative work on counter-terrorism legislation. Her speciality is counter-radicalisation.  She also has an academic background in human rights strategies and counter-terrorism.


Joanne Brooks (Office for Security & Counter Terrorism, Home Office)

Joanne Brooks is currently working on countering violent extremism and radicalisation on the internet in the ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ unit in the OSCT.  Previously, she has worked with the police in their ‘Prevent Policing’ strategy and in the development of cross-Government language guidance for use when talking about violent extremism and terrorism.

 

 

Quick Links To Questions ->  Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8.
 

 Question One

How do you feel that terrorism will evolve over the next ten years and do you believe that terrorism, as we now know it, will ever be completely defeated?

 Professor Clive Jones
 
 Professor Conor Gearty

 

  

 Question Two

How do businesses operate in the face of terrorist threat? What actions should businesses (eg: Airlines) take to manage risk posed by terrorists?
 Professor Clive Jones
 
 Professor Conor Gearty

 

 

 

 Question Three

The “war on terror” has in some respects, led to what has been described as a “war on freedom”.  Is it justifiable to infringe our basic human rights for the sake of eliminating terror?  Is it realistic to fight against terror where the fighting in itself is causing terror?
 
 Professor Clive Jones
 
 Professor Conor Gearty
 

 

 Question Four

Two of the most controversial methods of attempting to enhance security from terrorism are 1) control orders and 2) the creation of vague and very broad criminal offences. Which method creates the greatest risk of injustice to those against whom the law is enforced?
  Professor Clive Jones
 
  Professor Conor Gearty
 

 

 

 Question Five

The Joint Committee on Human Rights said in its Report in December 2007 (para 43) “We find the evidence of the CPS, that they have managed comfortably within the current 28 day limit, devastating to the Government’s case for an extension. The essence of that case is that there is a risk that, in the near future, a terrorism suspect may have to be released because the investigation into the plot he was involved in proves so complex or of such a scale that he cannot be charged within 28 days. But the very body with the responsibility for making the charging decisions, and with all the knowledge and experience of making them to date, working closely alongside the police who conduct the investigations, is quite confident that 28 days is enough time in which to charge. In our view, this fundamentally calls into question whether it really is “likely”, or even whether there is any “risk” at all, that at some point in the near future a case will arise in which 28 days is insufficient.” 

The committee also observed the absence of evidence that the terrorist threat has increased since 2006.

In the light of this Report, how can the government justify extending the custody time limit for terrorist suspects to 42 days?
 
  Question 5, as aksed:
 
  Professor Clive Jones
 
  Professor Conor Gearty
 

 

 

 Question Six

There have been suggestions that the prosecution in terrorism trials are overly reliant on unreliable 'closed' evidence, and that the defendant in such cases is disadvantaged in that he is not able to test evidence that should have been disclosed.  Is the role played by special advocates sufficient to remedy this inequality and ensure a fair trial for the accused? 
   
  Professor Conor Gearty
 

 

 Question Seven

 

  Professor Clive Jones
 
  Professor Conor Gearty
 

 

 Question Eight

 

  Professor Conor Gearty