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The sudden assertion of human criteria within a dehumanising framework of political manipulation can be like a flash of lightning illuminating a dark landscape

Vaclav Havel

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Geoffrey Bindman

Geoffrey Bindman is a former chairman and vice-president of the Society of Labour Lawyers. He is chairman of the British Institute of Human Rights.

Recent articles


Rule of law at risk

Geoffrey Bindman (London, BIHR): The interesting OurKingdom debate on Labour After Brown risks becoming too remote from actual policy needs as it discusses general strategy. Of course, government needs to be fairer and extend justice in a way that supports individuals while building shared values. If this is what David Miliband and Sunder Katwala mean by combining social democracy with liberalism, who could disagree? Except that it runs the danger of phrase-making. What I am looking for is a much more principled approach to endorsing the need for public values that explicitly face down the marketisation of government that has been the tragic hallmark of New Labour. After a lifetime of support, I have witnessed this process at first hand, as the legacy of 1945 is systematically undone. What is happening is wrong. We need the new generation to identify that it is wrong and pledge to reverse it.

Gaza: unlock this prison

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza demands urgent action on both the aid and political fronts, says Geoffrey Bindman.

Does the UK need more anti-terror laws?

Lawyer and human rights activist Geoffrey Bindman argues against impending additions to Britain's already cumbersome and problematic baggage of anti-terrorism law.

Human rights: can we afford them?

The defence of human-rights principles, procedures and conventions is essential to the security of citizens in democratic states fearful of terrorism, says Geoffrey Bindman.

Tony Blair and the Iraq war: in the eye of the law

The legal advice that sanctioned war in Iraq falls over Britain’s general election campaign. Geoffrey Bindman examines an issue that won’t go away.