The Convention on Modern Liberty

The Convention on Modern Liberty is a British voluntary body and programme of the Open Trust, set up in September 2008, that aims to highlight what it sees as the erosion of civil liberties in the UK. Its stated purpose is: "A call to all concerned with attacks on our fundamental rights and freedoms under pressure from counter-terrorism, financial breakdown and the database state."^[1]

The campaign was founded by Henry Porter, London editor of Vanity Fair, and Anthony Barnett, a founder member of Charter 88. It is sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, openDemocracy, Liberty (UK), NO2ID, and The Guardian.

In February 2009, the Convention organised the largest civil liberties gathering ever held in the UK, with meetings of journalists, lawyers, politicians, and campaigners held in eight cities across the country. Speakers included Shami Chakrabarti, Marina Warner, Fatima Bhutto, Timothy Garton Ash, Clive Stafford Smith, Helena Kennedy, and Joanne Cash.^[2]

Civil liberties in the UK have become a cause for concern among disparate groups. Martin Scheinin, a United Nations investigator, reported in February 2009 to the UN Human Rights Council that Britain was undermining the public's civil liberties. In the same month, Stella Rimington, the former director general of MI5, the country's domestic security service, said that Britain's counter-terrorism policies risked turning it into a police state.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ McVeigh, Tracy. Liberty groups unite to defend UK rights, The Observer, March 1, 2009.
2. ^ McCrum, Robert. Meet the new freedom fighters, The Observer, February 22, 2009.
3. ^ Booth, Jenny. Ex-spy chief Dame Stella Rimington says ministers have turned UK into police state, The Times, February 17, 2009.

Further reading

• The Convention on Modern Liberty