Victims of Terrorism and States Responses

Description

The Law and Criminology Department at Edge Hill University, alongside the Institute for Social Responsibility and in partnership with The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation have collaborated to present an interdisciplinary-based conference to take place on 26 June 2020 at Edge Hill University. The event is sponsored by The Modern Law Review Seminar Fund.

The Conference
The event is entitled; ‘Victims of Terrorism and States Responses’.

In collaboration with The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation, the conference will facilitate scholarly discussion on a wide range of pressing issues, focusing on the victims of terrorism and the level of support provided to those victims by the state. Including international and EU dialogue, the approach taken to this conference is impactful and direct in the sense that the scholarly discussion will focus on the changes that can be made in the practical sense to facilitate a better and more enhanced support network for victims of terrorism. Assisting in creating real-world discussion for Members of the European and UK Parliament, Police and Crime Commissioners, public sector stakeholders and law enforcement, this conference aims to prompt academic discussion, alongside support and enhancement of student learning for postgraduate and undergraduate in relevant fields.

The conference draws on expertise within the fields of law and policy, criminal justice, political science and religious studies. These areas are all affected by acts of terrorism and draw the inference of our social, legal and moral responsibilities. This is of particular importance given the lack of support provided by the state for victims of terrorism.

Following on from the above and fitting within the idea of social responsibility, the event moves forward to assess the alternative, and delves into the issues of radicalisation, de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and re-integration of those who have committed acts of terrorism, or who have been fighting in areas such as Syria surrounded by terrorist organisations.

During the conference, our speakers will focus on the issues facing victims of terrorism and the duties that are placed upon the state to support the surviving victims and their families, in terms of access to physical and psychological support, legal advice and compensation to the present victim, and pursing and preventing acts of terrorism for the potential future victim. Overall, an assessment will be made as to whether UK and EU Member States are doing enough.

The event will then draw upon expertise surrounding pursuing and preventing acts of terrorism. Many contentious issues will be debated such as the balance of protection and privacy. Our speakers will aim to equalise the overall duty of the State to protect the lives of its people, yet the safeguarding of individuals right to privacy.

Themes
The primary theme throughout is: Victims of terrorism: an interdisciplinary study into how the criminal justice system accommodates and assists the victims of terrorism. Secondarily, what the state can do to better to support victims following physical injury and damage to mental well-being is deliberated. This includes ideas surrounding restorative justice and compensation.

There will be two side themes focusing on how law and policy has evolved to prevent terrorist attacks, and how policing has been adapted to better pursue terrorists. Within these themes, speakers will also discuss the current conundrum facing the UK and EU Member States, regarding terrorist fighters currently imprisoned within Kurdish controlled Northern Syria, and whether or not they should be allowed to return to their state of origin.

Period	26 Jun 2020
Event type	Conference
Location	Ormskirk, United Kingdom
Degree of Recognition	International