Event overview
Goldsmiths Law quick response-seminar analysing what the storming of Capitol means for US democracy, and the lessons we can learn in Europe.
January 6th will go down in constitutional history books as one of the darkest hours of Western liberal democracy. The storming of the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, which led to the death of five people (including a US Capitol police officer), left several people injured and parts of Capitol damaged and vandalised while also keeping US Senators under siege for several hours, is a ‘wake-up call’ for liberal democratic states around the world, on what happens when an ultra-populist political narrative, that weaponizes attacks on democratic institutions and the rule of law, is left to go unchecked.
This quick response-seminar (by the Department of Law at Goldsmiths University of London), which takes place on the eve of Joe Biden’s inauguration and follows up on the historic decision to impeach Donald Trump for an unprecedented second time, brings together eminent scholars from the US and the UK:
- Alice Lilly, senior researcher, The Institute forGovernment
- Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor, Slate
- Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, Anniversary Chair in Law, QMU School of Law; Law and Public Affairs Fellow at Princeton University 2020-2021.
- David Alan Sklansky, Stanley Morrison Professor of Law and Faculty Co-Director, Stanford Criminal Justice Center, Stanford Law School
- Leslie Thomas QC, Garden Court Chambers; Gresham Professor of Law; Visiting Professor of Law, Goldsmiths University of London
and Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos, Inaugural Chair in Law, Goldsmiths University of London, as chair.
The objective is to generate reflection in the aftermath of these devastating events, attempting to provide answers to the host of complicated legal and political questions that arise.
Photo credit: Alex Gakos on Shutterstock.com
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jan 2021 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
