Magna Carta and the Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen : Past, Present and Future

08:30   Arrival/registration at Lancaster House

Chair: Michael Butcher

08:50   Introduction by the Rt Hon Baroness Blackstone and SE Sylvie Bermann, French Ambassador to London

Honouring the late Roger Errera, former senior member of the Conseil d’Etat, France’s Supreme Court for administrative law

09:00  Keynote speech by Rt Hon Lord Sumption on History and present significance of the Magna Carta and Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen and Q&A

09:30  Panel 1: Constraint of Sovereign Power introduced by Professor Robert Tombs, Etienne Picard, Keith Vaz MP and Jean-Marie Delarue followed by Q & A

• What were the restraints upon the king in 1215? Are those restraints sufficient to protect us today against new threats to liberty such as government spy programmes?
• What domestic constitutional, political and legal restraints on the ability of the government are there now to do just as it chooses?
• How have these documents shaped the relationship between those who govern and citizens today and what are the differences between the two countries?
• Do the domestic political classes need to regain legitimacy?

10:45   Break

11:15  Panel 2: Rome and Brussels introduced by Rt Hon Lady Justice Arden, Sir Stephen Wall and Bernard Stirn followed by Q & A

• Differences between the MC and the DDHC and the implications of these instruments for the future of Europe?
• What powers do the organs of the European Union have over sovereign member states?
• What temporal powers did the Pope have in relation to European kings?
• Does extra-jurisdictional European power over member states and the Euro need to regain legitimacy?
• Should Europe have more or less power over its member states?

12:30  Lecture on Human Rights in a Changing European Context  by the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP andJean-Paul Costa  followed by Q and A chaired by Rt Hon Baroness Blackstone and Professor Christian de Boissieu

13:15  Buffet lunch

14:00  Panel 3:  Freedom of Speech and Religion in the Public Domain chaired by Sir Michael Tugendhat and introduced by Shami Chakrabarti, le père Matthieu Rougé, Andrew Copson and Myriam Francois-Cerrah withQ&A

• Are the secular settlements of Europe secure?
• Do religions have a legitimate right to be exempted from special treatment?
• Freedom of expression and the protection of religious feelings
• Should religious beliefs overrule civil rights?

15:15  Break

15:30  Break into small roundtables for discussion

Panel I Constraint of Sovereign Power roundtables chaired by Professor Geraldine Van Bueren, Professor Christian de Boissieu (tbc) and Michael Butcher
Panel 2 Rome and Brussels chaired by Sir Stephen Wall, Patrick Hénault and Denis MacShane
Panel 3  Freedom of Speech and Religion in the Public Domain chaired by Haras Rafiq, Clive Myrie and Bonnie Greer

16:30  Report back to plenary session

17:15  Close of conference