Who is afforded protection on behalf of the state, and what are the limits of this protection? Hosted at King’s College London, this roundtable brings together leading experts from France and the UK to compare current dynamics in counter-terrorism law and policy. Providing a perspective on what’s at stake and offering a view from inside the courtroom of major terrorism trials, the discussion will reflect on key trends and challenges in both countries, while looking ahead to what the future might hold.

Register here to join us

France and Britain continue to serve as key reference points for monitoring the interaction between counter-terrorism, law, and social policy, as well as its societal effects. From struggles over the repatriation and administration of men, women, and children from Syrian camps or Iraqi prisons, the historic trials relating to the November 2015 attacks in Paris, Britain’s decision to uphold the deprivation of Shamima Begum’s citizenship and its move to prosecute children related to far-right terrorism, both countries remain central sites for understanding the implications of counter-terrorism for notions of justice and protection.

On the face of it, counter-terrorism promises to protect populations from terrorist violence. Yet the experience of both of these countries reminds us that, in practice, the reality of who is afforded protection is often more complex. It entails challenging judgments in which the interests of security, justice, and welfare are entangled and often pull in different directions. How are these conflicts worked out? And what do they imply for our ability to address the conditions that produce violence, while promoting civil rights and freedoms?

Join us on Thursday 7th September 2023 for a unique comparative exchange that will tackle these issues head on. The roundtable will be followed by a short reception, which all attendees are encouraged to attend.

Speakers:

• Mr Jonathan Hall KC, UK Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation
• Professor Lucia Zedner, University of Oxford
• Dr Sharon Weill, American University of Paris / Sciences Po
• Dr Antoine Mégie, Université de Rouen Normandie
• Dr Fatima Ahdash, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Dr Katherine Brown, University of Birmingham

This event is co-organised by Josh Walmsley and Constance Wilhelm-Olympiou, both of whom are PhD researchers in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. It is joint funded by the Transnational Law Institute (TLI) within the Dickson Poon School of Law and the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP).