Can the law achieve social, environmental and humanitarian justice? This event, moderated by Dr Pablo de Orellana, brings together three major figures in the world of activism and the law to discuss whether legal change, legal activism, or wholesale legal reform are options to achieve social, environmental and humanitarian justice, and to share their experiences in campaigning in and outside the law.

 

Speakers

David Renton is one of Britain’s leading social justice barristers. His clients have included Occupy protesters and blacklisted trade unionists. He writes regularly on law and justice for The Guardian and The London Review of Books. Renton received his PhD from the University of Sheffield with a thesis on fascism and anti-fascism in Britain, taught at universities including Nottingham Trent, Edge Hill, Rhodes, and Johannesburg. Since 2009, Renton has practised as a barrister at Garden Court Chambers in London, in employment and housing law and has represented clients in a number of high-profile cases, especially concerning trade union rights and the protection of free speech.

Fatima Ibrahim is a climate activist and social justice campaigner. Much of her work has been spent campaigning and building solidarity with international movements. She has worked for global NGO Avaaz, EU citizens movement WeMove.eu and was one of the lead organisers of the People’s Climate March. She has also spent years organising with and supporting the UK Youth Climate Coalition.

 

Nick Flynn is Head of Legal at Avaaz, a global civic movement with over 70 million members campaigning to ensure the voices of ordinary people are heard on the big issues of the day -- combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, protecting democracy and challenging disinformation to name but a few. Avaaz means 'voice' in many languages. Nick is also a trustee of the Environmental Law Foundation and was formerly an environmental lawyer at leading UK and US firms where he co-founded the Legal Response Initiative (a charity providing legal support to developing countries in the UN climate change negotiations) and Advocates for International Development (a charity providing legal support to the achievement of the MDGs and SDGs).