SOAS School of Law Annual Inception Lecture 2011 by Rt Hon. David Lammy, MP
Channel: SOAS University of London
Date: 2013-02-19

SOAS School of Law Annual Inception Lecture 2011: "Direct Action: A Necessary Prescription for Democracy?" was given by Rt Hon. David Lammy, MP on 5 October 2011 at SOAS,University of London.

Chair: Professor Graham Furniss, SOAS Pro-Director (Research & Enterprise)

The SOAS School of Law will be hosting its first Annual Inception Lecture at the start of the 2011/2012 academic session. This is an annual public lecture to be delivered at the beginning of each academic session by a notable alumnus or alumna of the SOAS School of Law, addressing a topical subject of general public interest which relates to the role of law in society in a broad sense. The inception lecture is intended to serve as an inspiration for our students, contribute to public debate and enhance our academic environment. The lecture is open to all new and returning students, academics, practitioners and the general public.

Abstract:
In this lecture, David Lammy will draw on the history of direct action and civil disobedience, from Gandhi's non-violent resistance to British rule in India to the campaign against South African apartheid. He will compare the student protests of 1968 and the Arab Spring with the protest movement currently taking root in university campuses and community groups across the country. David will seek to answer the fundamental question of whether direct action is necessary for democracy to be born and renewed.

David Lammy graduated from the SOAS School of Law in 1993 with an LLB (Hons) degree, and went on to be the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School. He was first elected to Parliament in 2000, as the MP for Tottenham, the most ethnically diverse constituency in Europe. He held a number of Ministerial posts in the Labour government, including Minister for Culture and Minister for Higher Education.

Further details about this event: http://goo.gl/xwByW

More about the School of Law at SOAS, University of London: http://www.soas.ac.uk/law/