Category Archives: 20170629

29 June 2017 18:30 ~ London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign Open Meeting June 2017 – London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign

Until 20:30 @ Mason Lecture Theatre in the Bancroft Building, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London E1 4NS

All are welcome to the third open meeting of the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign (formerly Repeal the 8th London), the London branch of the Abortion Right Campaign which stands in solidarity with the 3,500+ women who travel outside of Ireland to access abortion every year.

The London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign aims to bring together people in London to call for the Repeal of the 8th Amendment from the Irish constitution, and the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland.

The event is kindly hosted by Queen Mary University School of Law.

The agenda will be updated closer to the time but we are pleased to announce the following now:

Speakers:

  • Colm O’Gorman, Executive DIrector of Amnesty International Ireland.
  • Roisin Ingle, Journalist, Irish Times
  • Mariead Enright, Senior Lecturer in Birmingham Law School and member of Lawyers for Choice.
  • Goretti Horgan, Organiser of the Anti Amendment Campaign (against the 8th Amendment) 1982-3 and, after moving North, a founder-member of Alliance for Choice (which is 20 years old this year), and lecturer in Social Policy at Ulster University.

Since our first open meeting, we’ve established 6 working groups (Lobbying, Media/Comms, Fundraising, Legal, Northenrn Ireland and Protest/Direct Action) who are all busy working on projects. You can hear what they’ve been up to and how to get involved.

More info here:

Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/london-irish-abortion-rights-campaign-open-meeting-june-2017-tickets-34566472249

June 20, 2017

29 June 2017 ~ Raising the Bar: Best Practice in Stalking Cases – Paladin – London

Until 16:30 @ Amnesty International UK, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA

Four years on from our launch in the House of Lords following the successful stalking law reform campaign we are delighted to share our learning, knowledge and best practice through our analysis and assessment of more than 2000 cases, reviews of stalking related murders and our pioneering team of specialist Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers (ISACs), as the only national stalking advocacy service in the world.

  • At least five million people are stalked each year (British Crime Survey, 2006)
  • At least 700, 000 women are victims of stalking (Crime Survey of England & Wales, 2011/12)
  • Only 1% of stalking cases are being recorded by police (National Stalking Consortium, 2016)
  • Only 1% of cases result in a charge and prosecution for stalking (Paladin, 2015)

We can reveal from our 2016 service evaluation:

  • Victims suffer at least 30 times before they contact Paladin
  • 70% of our clients are female
  • 68% are domestic violence related cases
  • 90% of our clients said it affected their mental health
  • Of clients with children, 74% were targeted by the stalker
  • 97% of our clients feel safer after using our service
  • 100% of our clients received a safety plan
  • 2000 clients would have been worse off if they had not contacted Paladin

We continue to raise awareness of the risks and dangers of stalking. As a result, stalking has never been higher on the social, political or policing agenda and the response from all agencies never more under the microscope. Perpetrators who engage in stalking behaviours follow a path that can ultimately lead to murder. Lessons must be learned. Cases include the attempted murders of Zoe Dronfield and Helen Pearson and murders of Clare Bernal, Rana Faruqui, Natalie Esack, Jane Clough, Hollie Gazzard, Alison Morrison, Naudel Turner, Lorna Smith, Clare Wood, Rachael Slack, Tracy Jones, Zoe Morgan, Ann Marie Birch and more recently Shana Grice and Alice Ruggles.

The event will consist of expert sessions and interactive workshops, focusing on best practice and with the current HIMC on stalking underway and the maximum prison sentences recently doubled to 10 years, now is a crucial time to ensure you and your team are fully briefed in:

  • the different types of stalking cases and behaviours
  • police investigative good practice
  • new research on risk and risk assessment
  • stalking definition, law and points to prove
  • effective case management, evidence collection, case building and prosecution
  • civil justice problem solving
  • the psychology of stalking and stalkers.

Confirmed speakers include: Brian Altman, QC Former First Senior Treasury Counsel and lead prosecutor in the Milly Dowler case, Zoe Dronfield, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Laura Richards Founder and Director of Paladin, Dr Eleanor Aston, Vera Baird DBE QC PCC Northumbria, Sharon Stratton, College of Policing, Alison Roberts ISAC, Rachel Horman, Family Law Solicitor and Chair of Paladin, John Trott former DCI and Devon and Cornwall SPOC and Mandy Banks, Sentencing Review Panel.

Audience: ISACs and stalking caseworkers, police, prosecutors, domestic violence services, probation, health, counsellors, housing, children’s services, domestic violence solicitors, education, judges, magistrates and court staff. The more the merrier.

Fees: Complimentary tickets are being offered to Paladin affiliated membership organisations, accredited professionals and partners. This will operate on a ‘first come, first served basis’ and due to the restriction on numbers there will be a £50 charge for non-attendance.
Thereafter £150.00. Concessions, £125.00.

All attendees will receive a Certificate of Attendance and conference support material.

http://paladinservice.co.uk/conferences/

May 18, 2017