Reimagining Counter-terrorism Law – One Day Workshop

Published: Posted on

Date: 12th June 2025, Birmingham Law School

Counter-terrorism law is an ever evolving, often unwieldy beast covering matters of importance to national security, the rule of law and human rights. The study and teaching of counter-terrorism law draws on overlapping areas of law from criminal (domestic, transnational, and international), public, human rights, surveillance and intelligence to police powers. Counter-terrorism research is lively and multifaceted, sometimes focused on delimiting the subject and sometimes focused on critical, reform minded perspectives. Teaching in this area often stalks developments in research, but the diverse branches of the subject mean that securing a thematic thread and ensuring that it offers a comprehensive, cohesive and manageable perspective can be challenging. Reimagining Counter-terrorism Law aims to bring together key innovative, critical, and reform minded academics to create an ambitious and state-of the-art teaching and research agenda .

The aim of the workshop is to identify, deliberate and delineate the current trends in counter-terrorism law, particularly those that are emerging or less well considered to discuss alternative themes and propose new framings to advance both research and teaching.

  • What are the core thematic debates in counter-terrorism law today?
  • What areas of contestation can be identified in counter-terrorism law?
  • How have debates in counter-terrorism law shifted over time?
  • Is counter- terrorism law in the UK fit for purpose?
  • What new or developing trends in counter-terrorism law can we identify in cases, statute, and/or policy?
  • What should UK counter-terrorism law learn from other jurisdictions?
  • What are the key challenges facing counter-terrorism law educators and how can these challenges be overcome?

Registration

Registration is free, but places are limited. You can register by completing the following form here.

 

Programme

9.30am Tea and Coffee
10am Welcome and Opening Remarks

Where has Counter-terrorism law been? Alan Greene

10.30am Session 1: Boundaries and Approaches

Chair: Alan Greene

‘An exception no longer – the diffusion of counterterrorism-style laws and powers, and its implications for teaching and research’

Kajsa Dinnesson

 

‘Race and Counter-Terrorism Law’

Tufyal Choudhury

 

‘Karl Marx and UK Counter-Law: Challenges and Contradictions’

Ian Turner

 

12pm Lunch
1pm Session 2 Rights, Terrorism, and Contestations

Chair: Lydia Morgan

 

‘Counter-Terrorism and the Palestinian Question: Historical Erasure, De-legitimisation and the Redundancy of International Humanitarian Law’

Fatima Ahdash and Safaa Jaber

 

‘The Impact of Counter-Terrorism Law on Moderating Online Content’

Katy Vaughan

 

‘Counter-Terrorism and Free Speech: A Popular and Illegitimate Tool for Silencing Political Dissent’

Eliza Bechtold

 

2.30pm Tea and Coffee
3pm Keynote

Conor Gearty in discussion with Jessie Blackbourn

4pm Where is Counter-terrorism law going? Lydia Morgan
4.30 Close