Convention on Modern Liberty

On 28^th February 2009, a very important Human Rights and Civil Liberties event took place in London and six ‘parallel’ venues across the UK  -  that event was the Convention on Modern Liberty.

It brought together well over a thousand people, nearly fifty organisations, from the TUC to Amnesty International, and more than a hundred distinguished independent speakers with widely ranging political views and interests, among them Philip Pullman, Lord Bingham, Shami Chakrabarti, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, Vince Cable MP, Tory Shadow Justice Secretary Dominic Grieve QC MP, David Davis MP, Labour Minister for Skills David Lammy and Helena Kennedy QC.

The Convention was a call to all concerned with the threats to our fundamental rights and freedoms – from our own State, from terrorism and the responses to terrorism and from the gathering financial crisis.

Convention on Modern Liberty Cardiff   -  Saturday 28^th February, 2009
Presented by UNA: Vale of Glamorgan

Venue: St. David’s Hall  – the world-renowned National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales.

Programme

09:15  Doors open

09.40 Introduction
Live in Cardiff: Caroline L. Oag (UNA) opens the Parallel Convention.

09:45  Opening Keynote Address
Live on screen from London: Shami Chakrabati (Liberty) opens the Convention on Modern Liberty.

10:00  First Plenary: What is the Crisis?
Live on screen from London, with Q&A live from Manchester.
Chair: Georgina Henry. Speakers: Nick Clegg MP, Dominic Grieve QC MP, Helena Kennedy QC, David Lammy MP, Ken Macdonald QC.

11:45  Morning Session
Live in Cardiff: Human Rights, Democracy and Governance. Speakers will be followed by a Panel Discussion with audience participation.

Chair: Caroline L. Oag (UNA)
Speakers: Christopher Rees M.A. Cantab
Jenny Willott MP
Simon Hoare PPC
Dr Peter Sutch BA, MA, PhD, FRHistS (CSES)
Jill Evans MEP
Nick Ramsay AM

13:00  Lunch break

14:15  Afternoon Session
Live in Cardiff: The Future of Freedom. Speakers will be followed by a Panel Discussion with audience participation.

Chair: Caroline L. Oag (UNA)
Speakers: Evan Price LLB (London)
Kirsty Williams AM, Welsh Lib Dem Leader
Dr Peri Roberts (CSES)
Rob Buckland LLB
Dr Urfan Khaliq (CLAWS)
Chris Myant (EHRC)
John Osmond (IWA)

15:45  Second Keynote Address
Live on screen from London, with author Philip Pullman.

16:00  Second Plenary: Freedom and Democracy after the Market Meltdown
Live on screen from London, with Q&A live from Manchester.
Chair: Anthony Barnett. Speakers: Cory Doctorow, Chris Huhne MP, Will Hutton, Caroline Lucas MEP, Chuka Umunna.

17:15  Third Keynote Address
Live on screen from London, with David Davis MP.

17:45  Closing Session

The Parallel Convention in Cardiff was organised by UNA: Vale of Glamorgan and was very kindly sponsored by the Rowntree Foundation, the Guardian, Liberty, Open Democracy and Apex Chambers.

Videos from the Convention on Modern Liberty in Cardiff, organised by UNA: Vale of Glamorgan, are now available online  -  click here to view.