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Durham European Law Institute

Publications

Professor Helen Fenwick, LLB, BA

Contact Professor Helen Fenwick (email at h.m.fenwick@durham.ac.uk)

Research Supervision

Mr Alan Inglis

Mr Chris Wood

Miss Rachel Cullen

Miss Katherine Thompson

Biography

My research interest lies in the field of civil liberties and human rights. Within that field my main interests are in counter-terrorist law and policy, media freedom of expression (in particular contempt law, obscenity law and privacy law), public protest, and the influence of the European Convention on Human Rights under the Human Rights Act. The publications listed below, in particular my two single-authored books, concentrate on those areas. My current research focuses on counter-terrorist measures, media freedom of expression and judicial reasoning under the Human Rights Act.

I am interested in supervising research students (for PhDs or Mjurs) in the following areas:  The Human Rights Act, Bills of Rights, counter-terrorism law and policy, privacy and media freedom, hate speech laws, English contempt law or obscenity law.

Teaching Areas

Media Law
Civil Liberties

Organisation and Promotion of Research

  • Human rights Consultant for Doughty Street Chambers, ongoing
  • Co-Director of the Durham University Human Rights Centre 2001-2012
  • Convenor of the Civil Liberties and Human Rights Subject Section for the Society of Legal Scholars 2002-2012
  • 2005-9 Director of Research, Durham Law School; responsible for the RAE submission and Chair of the Research Committee

Media

  • 2012 (9 October) UK Constitutional Law Group blog ‘What’s wrong with s2 Human Rights Act?’

  • 2012 (7 April) UK Constitutional Law Group blog  and the UK Human Rights Blog 'An appeasement approach in the European Court of HumanRights?'

  • 2012 (2 April) BBC Radio Newcastle on proposals for new powers to monitor communications

  • 2011 Televised interviewed with Andrew Neil on BBC2 13 Dec 2011 (broadcast Feb 2012) for 'Righting Wrongs?' outside European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg about the future of the Human Rights Act

  • 2011 (1 Nov) UK Constitutional Law Group blog The Conservative anti-ECHR stance and a British Bill of Rights: rhetoric and realityConservative policy on the Human Rights Act: the role of the Bill of Rights' Commission and the aim of handing back autonomy to the UK in human rights matters

  • 2011 (3 Oct) BBC Newcastle phone interview on future of the Human Rights Act

  • 2011 (17 Oct) Contributed to discussion of contempt law - BBC Radio 4

  • 2011 (4 Oct) Contributed to Channel 4 News on announcement of a potential tightening of immigration rules in relation to deportation

  • 2011 (July) Interview on Radio Atticus, Australia,  on proposals for 'Clare's Law'

  • 2008 Radio 4 interview on Handyside case

  • 2004 Interview on "Law in Action" BBC Radio 4 on Laporte - case on breach of the peace and rights to protest under the Human Rights Act

  • 2003 Interview on "Law in Action" BBC Radio 4 on the right of public protest

Consultancy/Expert Advice

  • Gave evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Enhanced Terrorism Prevention Measures Bill (ETPIMs) on 24 October 2012. The Committee is conducting pre-legislative scrutiny on the draft Bill, and will be reporting to Parliament on November 9 2012 with its recommendations

  • Expert advisor for Liberty

  • Advice on counter-terrorist policy to Canadian High Commissioner 2006

  • Expert assessor OSCE ODIHR Roundtable, Warsaw 2006

  • Council of Europe: expert advice on criminal justice and public order laws, Armenia, 2008, Moldova 2001

  • 2001 - present Human Rights Consultant for Doughty Street Chambers, London

Research Interests

  • Counter-terrorist law and policy
  • Media freedom of expression (in particular contempt law, obscenity law and privacy law)
  • Public protest
  • Human Rights Act; proposals for a Bill of Rights

Selected Publications

Books: authored

Books: edited

Books: reviews

Books: sections

  • Fenwick, Helen. (Forthcoming). Origins of Rights and Freedoms. In Halsbury's Laws. Lord Mackay of Clashfern (series editor) & Falkowski, D. (consultant editor) LexisNexis Butterworths.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (Forthcoming). The Human Rights Act. In Halsbury's Laws. Lord Mackay of Clashfern (series editor) & Falkowski, D. (consultant editor) LexisNexis Butterworths.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (Forthcoming). The role of unincorporated human rights standards in English law. In Halsbury's Laws. Lord Mackay of Clashfern (series editor) & Falkowski, D. (consultant editor) LexisNexis Butterworths.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2013). Conservative Anti-HRA Rhetoric, the Bill of Rights "Solution" and the role of the Bill of Rights Commission. In The United Kingdom's Statutory Bill of Rights: Constitutional and Comparative Perspectives. Masterman, R. & Leigh, I.D. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Phillipson, Gavin. & Fenwick, Helen. (2012). UK counter-terror law post 9/11: initial acceptance of extraordinary measures and the partial return to human rights norms. In Global Anti-Terrorism Law & Policy (2nd ed). Ramraj, V. Hor, M. Roach, K. & Williams, G. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 481-513.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2010). Introduction and chapter: Judicial review: the historical background. In Supperstone, Goudie & Walker: Judicial Review. General Editors: Sir Michael Supperstone; James Goudie QC; and The Honourable Mr Justice Walker. Editor for the Fourth edition: Helen Fenwick UK: Lexis Nexis.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2010). Publications interfering with the due course of justice in particular legal proceedings – the general position at common law. In Borrie and Lowe: The Law of Contempt. Ian Cram (General Editor). UK: Lexis Nexis.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2008). Religion in the Media – legal constraints. In The New Oxford Companion to Law. Conaghan, J. & Cane, P. Oxford Oxford University Press. 671.
  • Fenwick, Helen. & Phillipson, G. (2008). The Human Rights Act, public protest and judicial activism. In Free to Protest: Constituent Power and Street Demonstration. Sajó, András. Utrecht: Eleven International Publishing. 189-219.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2007). Judicial Reasoning in Clashing Rights cases; Introduction; Conclusion. In Judicial Reasoning under the Human Rights Act. Phillipson, G. & Masterman, R. (eds) Cambridge University Press.
  • Fenwick, Helen. & Phillipson, G. (2005). Legislative over-breadth, democratic failure and the judicial response: fundamental rights and the UK’s anti-terrorist legal policy. In Global Terrorism. Ramraj, V., Hor, M. & Roach, K. Cambridge University Press.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2003). The reaction of Great Britain's legal order to September 11 2001. In Terrorismus und Recht – Der wehrhafte Rechtsstaat. Munich: Hanns Seidel Foundation.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2002). Responding to 11 September: Detention without trial under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. In Superterrorism. Freedman, L Prof. Wiley. 80-104.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (1998). Introduction to Professor Andrew Ashworth's The European Convention on Human Rights and English Criminal Justice: Ships which pass in the Night? In The Public Law of Europe and the Common Law of the UK. Andenas, Dr M. Keyhaven Publications. 215-226.

Conference papers

  • Fenwick, Helen. (2012), Counter-terror strategies, the roles of technology and accountability: mass camera surveillance in the UK as a case study, The Hague, The Netherlands Centre for Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Leiden University.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2011), Constructing suspect Muslim communities: UK preventive counter-terrorist strategies in conflict with human rights Keynote lecture, 25 Nov; Immigration & Integration in an Age of Austerity: Challenges and Opportunities, The London International Human Rights Congress 2011: 'Immigration & Integration in an Age of Austerity: Challenges and Opportunities'. Houses of Parliament, London, The Institute of Cultural Diplomacy.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2010), Counter-terror law and policy in the UK post 9/11: acceptance of extraordinary measures and the incremental return to adherence to ECHR human rights norms, Conference on Global Anti-Terrorism. Sydney, Australia.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2010), The Human Rights Act or a British Bill of Rights - riding back on human rights' protection?, The Human Rights Act – 10 years on. Salford, England.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Breach of the peace, the Human Rights Act and public protest, Modern Convention on Liberty. Belfast, UK.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Current UK counter-terrorism policy: Responding to Belmarsh - the UK control orders regime, New York, USA (Cardozo Law School).
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Marginalising human rights: breach of the peace, “kettling”, the Human Rights Act and public protest, SLS Centenary Conference. Keele, England.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Private Information and Public Places: Recent Developments in European and English Law, Luxembourg.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Re-defining the rights to liberty and due process in the context of counter-terrorism – the control order phenomenon, Freiburg, Germany, Max Planck Institute.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2009), Recalibrating ECHR rights, and the role of the Human Rights Act post 9/11: reasserting international human rights norms in the “war on terror”?”, Current Legal problems lecture. London, England (UCL).
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2008), Proactive counter-terrorist strategies in conflict with human rights, ESRC Seminar Series - Ethics and the War on Terror Birmingham, England.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2007), The Human Rights Act, Public Protest and Judicial Activism, The Individual vs. the State. Budapest, Hungary (Central European University).
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2006), Constructing the Terrorist Suspect, New Delhi, India (Indian Law Institute).
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2006), Counter-terrorism Law and Policy in the UK: the changing balance between human rights and security, Warsaw Symposium on Terrorist Law and Policy. Warsaw, Poland, the Transatlantic Policy Consortium.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2005), The Relationship between Freedom and Security in Europe, The British Perspective. Berlin, Germany, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2004), Fundamental rights and the UK’s anti-terrorist legal policy, international conference on Global Terrorism. Singapore, Malaysia.
  • Fenwick, Helen (2004), Indefinite Detention without Trial - the “response” of Great Britain's legal order to September 11 2001: conflicts with fundamental rights, The European Anti-Terrorist Legislation and the protection of fundamental rights and liberties. Brussels, Brussels.
  • Fenwick, Helen (2004), Part 4 ACTSA – recent developments, SLS conference. Sheffield, England.
  • Fenwick, Helen (2003), Breach of confidence after NIB v RTE, the Human Rights Act and the Convention, international symposium on Freedom of Expression. Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
  • Fenwick, Helen (2002), Why bother with rights when public safety is at risk?, Hamlyn Lectures: Human Rights, Serious Crime and Criminal Procedure. London, England.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2001), State Surveillance: in the Human Rights Act era, Human Rights Unit launch at University of Leeds. Leeds, England.

Essays in edited volumes

Journal papers: academic

Monographs

  • Fenwick, Helen. & Phillipson, G. (2006). Media Freedom under the Human Rights Act. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Fenwick, Helen. (2000). Civil Rights: New Labour, Freedom and the Human Rights Act. Longman.

Show all publications

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

  • English Law: civil liberties issues - especially police powers and discrimination
  • Law & Crime: Counter-terrorist law and policy
  • Terrorism: Counter-terrorist law and policy
  • Terrorism: Terrorism
  • Politics & Society: Public protest
  • Law & Crime: Media freedom of expression (in particular contempt law, obscenity law and privacy law)
  • English Law: Media freedom of expression (in particular contempt law, obscenity law and privacy law)

Grants Awarded

  • 2010: £43,000 from EHRC, 2010 ‘Impact on Muslims of counter-terror measures’ Co-investigator with T Choudhury
  • 2002: £139,128 the Judicial Reasoning Project: THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT AND LEGAL REASONING, (from Arts & Humanities Research Board) 2002-5, Principal Investigator
  • 2002: THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT AND LEGAL REASONING (£139128.00 from Arts & Humanities Research Board)
  • 2001: £70,000: convened Law Foundation Course for Qatari students 2000-1 in collaboration with Language Centre
  • 1992: £7,500: for relief from teaching and IT equipment from HEFCE 1992-3

Supervises