Terrorists on Trial. Performative Perspectives

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Terrorists on Trial. Performative Perspectives

Veranstalter
Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS); in cooperation with the International Centre for Counterterrorism, The Hague
Veranstaltungsort
Ort
Wassenaar, Netherlands
Land
Netherlands
Vom - Bis
26.05.2011 - 27.05.2011
Deadline
02.05.2011
Website
Von
Prof. Dr. Klaus Weinhauer

This two day conference deals with a new dimension in terrorism research. It presents the results of the NIAS Research Theme Group ‘Terrorists on Trial. The Court Room as a Stage in the Struggle for Publicity, Public Support and Legitimacy’. This group focuses on trials of what are termed terrorists. The determination whether an act of protest, resistance, intimidation or violence amounts to ‘terrorism’ is, they argue, formally made in court. The decisions in terrorist trials therefore reverberate in society; they have an impact on terrorists and their sympathisers and can shape or break public support for government measures against terrorism. By analysing the behaviour of terrorists in such trials and the role of all other parties involved this conference will take a fresh look at the judicial, political and social impacts of a series of such trials held both before and after 11 September 2001.

The proposition that lies at the heart of this is that terrorist trials are not mere judicial procedures, but have what can be called a ‘performative power’. They have the potential to mobilise a society, or certain groups within that society or beyond, by conveying messages to a wider public about a desirable social order and what should be regarded as ‘just’. This power can be wielded by the terrorists but also by public prosecutors, lawyers, judges and politicians. They can all ‘play politics’ with what is going on in the courtroom and around the trial, stretching or even changing the definition of justice, legality and legitimacy; they have the power to ‘perform’, that is to convince and mobilise various audiences. The audience principally consists of the public in the courtroom, but through the press it includes the entire population. By presenting a number of case-studies this conference attempts to unravel the role of all those involved, as actors as well as audience, by analysing the constructed messages and how they are received.

The conference programme can be found below. For enrolment and further information contact Mike Spaans at M.Spaans@nias.knaw.nl.

Programm

Thursday, 26 May

13.00-13.30
Arrival, Tea/Coffee

13.30-13.45
Welcome by: Prof. Aafke Hulk, Rector of the NIAS

13.45-14.00
Opening by: Dr. Joost Augusteijn, Chair of the Conference

14.00-15.00
Introduction I:
Chair: Prof. Alex Schmid, NIAS

Presentation by: Dr. Beatrice de Graaf, NIAS/Centre for Terrorism and Counterterrorism (CTC), Leiden University
“When Trials Work (or not): The Performative Power of Terrorist Trials”

15.00-15.30
Tea/Coffee

15.30-17.30
Terrorists on Trial: Case Studies, Part 1
Chair: Prof. Elies van Sliedregt, NIAS/VU University Amsterdam

Presentation by: Dr. Joost Augusteijn, NIAS/Leiden University
“The Irish and British experience with IRA trials”,
Referee: Prof. Clive Walker, University of Leeds

Presentation by: Dr. Jacco Pekelder, NIAS/Utrecht University, and Prof. Klaus Weinhauer, NIAS/Bielefeld University
“The German experience with the RAF trial at Stammheim”,
Referee: Prof. Jürgen Martschukat, Erfurt University

17.30-19.00
Dinner

20.00-21.30
Public Lecture and Panel Debate, at the International Centre for Counterterrorism, The Hague:
Chair ; Peter Knoope, director of the ICCT, The Hague,

Keynote Lectures by: Judge Howard Morrison, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The Hague, and Prof. Mike Newton, Vanderbilt University Law School
“Terrorism and Justice”

21.30-
Drinks

Friday, 27 May

9.30-10.30
Introduction II:
Chair: Prof. Klaus Weinhauer, NIAS/Bielefeld University

Presentation by: Prof. Alex Schmid, NIAS
“Terrorism, Political Crime, and Political Justice”

10.30-11.00
Tea/Coffee

11.00- 13.00
Terrorists on Trial: Case Studies, Part II
Chair: Dr. Jacco Pekelder, NIAS/Utrecht University

Presentation by: Prof. Elies van Sliedregt, NIAS/VU University Amsterdam
“Court room drama at the Yugoslavia Tribunal. Comparing the trials of Milosevic and Karadzic to terrorism trials”,
Referee: Alexander van Dam, National Public Prosecutor, The Hague,

Presentation by: Dr. Awol K. Allo, Amherst College
“The Israeli Case against Marwan Barghouti”,
Referee: Prof. Hans-Heiner Kühne, University of Trier

13.00-14.00
Lunch

14.00-17.00
Panel discussion with central questions:
1. What is the role of Performative Strategies in court?
2: How can the Judiciary in Liberal-Democratic States be better equipped to deal with Terrorism?
Chair: Dr. Beatrice de Graaf, NIAS/CTC, Leiden University
Statements and Discussion with: Prof. Jürgen Martschukat, Erfurt University; Prof. Hans-Heiner Kühne, University of Trier; Prof. Frank Bovenkerk, University of Amsterdam; Alexander van Dam, National Public Prosecutor, The Hague

17.00-17.10
Conclusions:
by Theo Bot, Deputy National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, The Hague

17.10-17.15
Closing: by Dr. Joost Augusteijn, Chair of the Conference

17.15-
Drinks and Conference dinner

Kontakt

Mike Spaans

Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS), Meijboomlaan 1, NL-2242 PR Wassenaar

M.Spaans@nias.knaw.nl

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