Fwd: The Ecocide Trial at The Supreme Court

[Simon Fairlie]

>
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> www.cartoonkate.co.uk
>
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>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Ackroyd & Harvey <ackroyd.harvey at btinternet.com>
> Date: 22 September 2011 13:37
> Subject: Fw: The Ecocide Trial at The Supreme Court
> To: Heather & Dan <ackroyd.harvey at btinternet.com>
>
>
> Dear all
>
>
> We are in the process of making an artwork based on this  
> unprecedented event at The UK Supreme Court, London on Friday 30th  
> September:
>
>                                         CAN ECOCIDE BE CONSIDERED A  
> CRIME AGAINST PEACE?
> Mock Trial, UK Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London SW1
> 30 September 2011   9.00am - 5.00pm
>
> Shown live on SKY http://news.sky.com/home/supreme-court
>
> In April 2010, British barrister Polly Higgins proposed to the UN  
> that Ecocide, the environmental equivalent of Genocide, becomes the  
> 5th International Crime Against Peace alongside Genocide, Crimes  
> Against Humanity, Crimes of Aggression and War Crimes.
>
> On September 30th 2011, the UK Supreme Court in London will be the  
> venue for a mock Ecocide Trial. Simon Hamilton, Chairman of The  
> Hamilton Group, organisers of the event, says: “It is essential  
> that we do a forensic examination of the implications of this  
> proposed law to see how it would work in practice. What better  
> place than the UK Supreme Court to hold this Trial with two of this  
> country’s leading barristers.”
>
> It is argued that this proposed new Law against Ecocide is  
> fundamental in addressing humanitarian and environmental issues on  
> a global scale. Implementation of the Law has the potential to  
> change inter-governmental policy and action on climate change, by  
> providing the necessary legal framework to help halt the over -  
> exploitation of natural resources and to pre-empt the energy crunch.
>
> Michael Mansfield QC, the prosecuting barrister, and Nigel Lickley  
> QC, the defence barrister together with supporting legal teams,  
> will lead the case for and against the CEOs of two fictional major  
> corporations. Before the case is heard, legal argument will be put  
> as to whether Ecocide and the Earth’s Right to Life should be  
> applied to the charge against the two defendants. Being considered  
> are any two of the following Ecocides:
>
> Deforestation of the Amazon
> Arctic drilling
> Fracking for shale gas in Nigeria
> Major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
>
> Bauxite mining of Niyamgiri mountain, India
> Unconventional tar sands extraction, Canada
> Deep sea mining of the Central and Eastern Manus Basin
>
>
> The mock trial will examine how the crime of Ecocide could protect  
> the Earth’s Right to Life and will be tried as though the proposed  
> crime of Ecocide has been adopted by the UN.
>
> What will happen is not pre-scripted; it is ultimately for the jury  
> to determine whether the crime of Ecocide is made out and whether  
> the Earth’s Right to Life is breached.
>
> For further information, invitations to the Trial and press  
> conference, interviews with participants, expert witnesses and well- 
> known experts contact:
> Simon Hamilton simon at thehamiltongroup.org.uk  +44(0) 7931 382275 or
> Fiona Hayes fiona at thehamiltongroup.org.uk   +44 (0)7590 425621
>
>
> Sky website will be taking the Ecocide Trial live. http:// 
> news.sky.com/home/supreme-court
>
> Please forward details of the event to interested colleagues and  
> friends.
>
> Thanks
>
> Heather and Dan
> Ackroyd & Harvey
>
>

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