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DTSTAMP:20260405T231617Z
DTSTART:20190925T143000Z
DTEND:20190925T173000Z
SUMMARY:BIC Showcase: collapse of the middle - the different impacts of m
 odern populism in and within bars and the legal profession
DESCRIPTION:‘The first thing we do\, let’s kill all the lawyers’.\n\n(Sha
 kespeare\, Henry VI\, Part II\, act IV – statement made by Dick the Butc
 her\, a follower of rebel Jack Cade\, who thought that if he disturbed l
 aw and order\, he could become king)\n\n‘First they came for the sociali
 sts\, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a socialist.\nThen the
 y for the trade unionists\, and I did not speak out – Because I was not 
 a trade unionist.\nThen they came for the Jews\, and I did not speak out
  – Because I was not a Jew.\nThen they came for me – and there was no on
 e left to speak for me.’\n\n(Martin Niemöller\, prominent German Luthera
 n pastor and outspoken foe of Adolf Hitler\, who spent seven years in a 
 concentration camp)\n\nThe term ‘populism’ – which has become a euphemis
 m for describing extreme ideological positions in public discourse – is 
 becoming increasingly popular and proving attractive to more people in m
 any countries today. It is difficult to deny that the designation of a p
 erson or party as ‘populist’ poses a serious problem beyond the actors\,
  as it seems a threat for the future of democracies\, legal systems and 
 the entire legal profession. Lawyers and judges feel many times pressed 
 while seeking to maintain due process and legal representation of unpopu
 lar clients in an age of increasing trials by social media.  Regardless 
 of its historical antecedents\, populism today poses challenges not only
  in terms of attacks on the judiciary\, but in terms of what is acceptab
 le speech\; it is no longer a matter of right or left. For many\, it see
 ms to be the political cancer of the 21st century.\n\nThis BIC Showcase 
 session looks into recent efforts by governments and political parties a
 round the world to tighten control of the judiciary\, not give credence 
 to the rule of law and use the courts as a delaying tactic (when not in 
 some way promoting bribes to and corruption of judges)\, as well as to m
 anage lawyers and prosecutors under different slogans. Scholars and prac
 titioners assert that the trouble with the legal profession is not only 
 that it can lose its autonomy\, and thus its ability to act as a sociopo
 litical force that is independent from the ruling political party or coa
 lition\, but also by virtue of the tightened control\, law can become an
  unattractive channel for widespread opposition to economic\, political 
 and social actions and policies of a society or government. The legal pr
 ofession should probably look at both Shakespeare and Niemöller’s citati
 ons when considering how to address this polarising critical issue\, whi
 ch\, while putting pressure on bar and law practitioners\, provides them
  with an essential say and role in society.
LOCATION:Room 301\, Floor 3
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