Eoin – Page 70 – Cearta.ie

Suppose the law: M. NourbeSe Philip’s The Zong!

Posted on 21 March, 201130 November, 2020 by Eoin

The Zong (Gregson v Gilbert (1783) 3 Doug 232, 99 ER 629, [1783] EngR 85 (22 May 1783) (pdf)) is an infamous case. It concerned a claim against an insurer for the value of slaves thrown overboard from The Zong to allow the crew to survive a chronic lack of drinking water (it is voyage 84106 on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database). The claim succeeded at first instance, but failed on appeal before Lord Mansfield and Willis and Buller JJ. I have already blogged about Nate Oman’s review of Simon Schama’s Rough Crossings: Britain, Slaves, and the American Revolution (Harper Collins, 2007) which discussed the case, and about an episode of a television drama inspired by the case. Now Kate Sutherland brings news that poet (and recovering lawyer) M. NourbeSe Philip has published an extended poetry cycle about the case: Zong! As told to the author by Setaey Adamu Boateng (Wesleyan University Press | The Mercury Press | Google Books (2008)). The abstract describes the book as “a haunting lifeline between archive and memory, law and poetry” and continues:

In November, 1781, the captain of the slave ship Zong ordered that some 150 Africans be murdered by drowning so that the ship’s owners could collect insurance monies.

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News: Reframing Libel event – papers now available « Inforrm’s Blog

Posted on 21 March, 2011 by Eoin

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In November 2010 we reported on the Reframing Libel” event at City University London. This brought together academics, practitioners, and campaigners to discuss the future of libel reform. We subsequently published posts based on the contributions by Razi Mireskandari (one of our most popular posts), Dominic Crossley and Hugh Tomlinson (Part 1 and Part 2).

Writing on her “Meeja law” blog journalist and researcher Judith Townend (who was involved in the organisation of the event) reports that, to coincide with the government’s publication of the Draft Defamation Bill, the Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism at City University London has made digital papers available here.

via inforrm.wordpress.com

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Would you recognise the signs of elder abuse? Attend a free Age Action workshop this Spring. | Age Action Ireland

Posted on 15 March, 2011 by Eoin

Age Action is organising a series of workshops for the public in the coming weeks to help raise awareness about elder abuse.

The workshops will take place between March 28 and April 8 at venues in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Athy, Co. Kildare. They aim to raise awareness about what elder abuse is, the warning signs of abuse, the supports available if a person is being abused, and how to access them.

The workshops, which are funded by the HSE, will take place as follows:

Dublin: Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, Monday, March 28 (9.45am to 12 noon);

Athy: Carlton Abbey Hotel, Athy, Friday, April 1 (1.45pm to 4pm);

Galway: Croi na Gaillimhe Resource Centre, Mills Street, Galway, Monday, April 4 (9.15am to 11.30am);

Cork: Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork, Friday, April 8 (1.45pm to 4pm).

If you are interested in attending any of the workshops, or are part of a group that might benefit from attending one, please contact us to register. Pre-registration is necessary as each workshop is limited to 40 people.

To register your place at one of the workshops: phone 01-4756989; email info@ageaction.ie or write to Age Action, 30/31 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2.

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Report criticises Irish human rights measures – RTÉ News

Posted on 15 March, 2011 by Eoin

IHRC – Called for ‘key reforms’ to strengthen human rights in Ireland

Ireland has ‘serious gaps’ in its human rights protection, according to a new report published today.

The Irish Human Rights Commission published its report to the UN on Ireland’s Human Rights Record and called for immediate action.

Ireland will be examined for the first time on its record on all of its human rights obligations under a new UN process called the Universal Periodic Review, in October.

via rte.ie

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The UK’s libel reform proposals are a good start

Posted on 15 March, 201116 November, 2015 by Eoin

The UK’s Ministry of Justice has announced its long-awaited consultation on the reform of the UK’s libel laws. Much of the territory covered by draft Defamation Bill was covered in Ireland by the Defamation Act, 2009 (also here), though there are some important differences as well. In this post, I want briefly to compare and contrast the UK Bill [the Bill] with the Irish Act [the Act]. To spoil the conclusion (for those of you who won’t read further than this opening paragraph) the Bill is largely in line the Act, and, in this respect, I am reminded of the Irish adage “tosach maith, leath na h-oibre“: a good start is half the work. In the end, that is what the Bill is: a good start.

Similarities
Clause 2 of the Bill provides for a defence of responsible publication on matter of public interest. In many ways, this analagous to the defence of fair and reasonable publication on a matter of public interest contained in section 26 of the Act. But clause 2 is a far less mealy mouthed version of the defence than the unworkably narrow section 26 is: there are fewer hurdles to be jumped by a defendant seeking to rely upon it.…

The dubious legality of the second Employment Control Framework

Posted on 14 March, 20117 November, 2012 by Eoin

On 26 March 2009, the Minister for Finance confirmed that the Government had decided to implement a moratorium on public service recruitment, precluding recruitment, promotion, renewal of fixed-term contracts, or payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade. The standard letter sent to the various government departments emphasised that exceptions to this principle would arise only in very limited circumstances and would require the prior sanction of the Minister for Finance. There were additional rules for Education and Health, and these were supplemented for the third level sector by a controversial Employment Control Framework. That framework has now run its course, but news has seeped out over the course of the weekend that, in one of his last acts before leaving office, Brian Lenihan, the outgoing Minister for Finance, last week sanctioned a successor Employment Control Framework. It has been been much derided on Twitter at #ecf11, and it has drawn a chorus of detailed criticism from Des Fitzgerald, Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Colm Kearney, Paul Walsh, Dermot Frost, and Donncha O’Connell. For a bunch of academics, the unanimity is extraordinary. All are agreed that this new Framework is a thoroughly bad idea.…

Privates on parade: privacy in public (again)

Posted on 10 March, 201112 May, 2015 by Eoin

In a now-infamous wardrobe malfunction in the course of the half-time entertainment for Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004), during a duet between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, Timberlake fleetingly exposed Jackson’s right breast, which was adorned with a large nipple shield (the pair are pictured left immediately after the incident). In an exciting game, the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29, but Jackson got all of the post-game media exposure (sorry!). She insisted afterwards that Timberlake removed more clothing than he should have done and that it was not her intention that it go as far as it did; but, in the face of public outrage, the Federal Communications Commission condemned it as a stunt, and the matter has even – briefly – reached the US Supreme Court (pdf).

Other wardrobe malfunctions can be even more embarassing. In Sinnott v Carlow Nationalist (already discussed on this blog here, here, here, here, here, and here), the Circuit Court and the High Court held that the publication by the Carlow Nationalist newspaper of a photograph of Mr Sinnott involved in a football match in which his private parts were exposed constituted an invasion of his privacy.…

In The Life Presents: Censoring Wojnarowicz — NCAC

Posted on 7 March, 2011 by Eoin

In The Life Presents: Censoring Wojnarowicz

3/3/2011 —

In The Life Media looks at the controversy surrounding the removal of David Wojnarowicz’s video installation, “A Fire in My Belly,” from the National Portrait Gallery’s Hide/Seek show at the Smithsonian. The video, which represents the artist’s anger as he faced death from AIDS ignited outrage among conservative lawmakers and religious leaders.

via ncac.org

This is another follow-up to my blogpost on whether galleries should display offensive art. Earlier follow-up via here.

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