BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//OpenACalendar//NONSGML OpenACalendar//EN X-WR-CALNAME:Open Rights Group Leeds: 14 years in prison for doing journali sm?! An in-depth look at the Espionage Act - Open Tech Calendar BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5089@otc.opentechcalendar.co.uk URL:https://opentechcalendar.co.uk/event/5089-14-years-in-prison-for-doing- journalism-an-in-dept SUMMARY:Open Rights Group Leeds: 14 years in prison for doing journalism?! An in-depth look at the Espionage Act DESCRIPTION:Did you know that journalists and whistleblowers could soon be sent to prison for 14 years for exposing corruption and government wrongdo ing?\n\nImagine living in a society where abuses of power\, corruption and wrongdoing could go unreported and unchallenged - it could be closer than you think...\n\nJoin us on Wednesday 12th April to find out from Jim Kill ock\, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group\, about what the new law means for journalists and whistleblowers and what you can do to stop the Law Commission's proposals.\n\nAbout the Espionage Act\n\nThe Law Commissi on is advising the Government how to update the law about classified state secrets - they want a new Espionage Act to increase the penalties\, and a llow journalists handling secret documents to be treated like spies.\n\nTh eir proposals would stop investigative journalism and public-interest whis tleblowing concerning the secret state.\n\nWould you risk 14 years in jail just for examining secret documents?\n\nWhistleblowers and journalists wo uldn't be able to use a public interest defence to protect themselves if t hey were prosecuted under the proposed Espionage Act. Instead\, government staff would have to raise concerns internally. Journalists would have to turn down requests to investigate and report - or risk jail.\n\nJournalist s and whistleblowers wouldn't have to give the documents to foreign powers \, cause harm or even publish the documents to be jailed for 14 years.\n\n Event Details\n\nLocation: The Sovereign Suite\, Cosmopolitan Hotel\, Leed s\, LS1 4AE.\n\nTimings: Please arrive from 18:15\, the event will begin a t approx. 18:30\, there will be the opportunity to socialise before and af terwards.\n\nOur lead speaker for the evening will be Jim Killock\, Execut ive Director of the Open Rights Group\, who will be providing an overview of the proposed law and its implications followed by a Q&\;A style disc ussion.\n\nAbout the speaker:\n\nSince joining Open Rights Group in Januar y 2009\, Jim has led numerous campaigns on digital rights issues\, most re cently against the Investigatory Powers Act (Snoopers Charter) and the Dig ital Economy Bill.\n\nHe was named as one of the 50 most influential peopl e on IP issues by Managing IP in 2012. In the same year ORG won Liberty's Human Rights Campaigner of Year award alongside 38 Degrees\, for work on i ssues from copyright to the Snooper's Charter.\n\nBefore joining ORG\, Jim worked as External Communications Co-ordinator of the Green Party. At the Green Party\, he promoted campaigns on open source\, intellectual propert y and digital rights. He was also a leading figure in the campaign to elec t their first party leader\, Caroline Lucas MP.\n\nSign the petition\n\nNe arly 20\,000 people have already signed the Open Rights Group's petition\, demanding the Law Commission drop plans to criminalise journalists and pu blic-interest whistleblowers. Speak up by signing the petition today! Than k you.\nhttps://opentechcalendar.co.uk/event/5089-14-years-in-prison-for-d oing-journalism-an-in-dept\nPowered by Open Tech Calendar X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Did you know that journalists a
nd whistleblowers could soon be sent to prison for 14 years for exposing c
orruption and government wrongdoing?
Imagine living in a society wh
ere abuses of power\, corruption and wrongdoing could go unreported and un
challenged - it could be closer than you think...
Join us on Wednes
day 12th April to find out from Jim Killock\, Executive Director of the Op
en Rights Group\, about what the new law means for journalists and whistle
blowers and what you can do to stop the Law Commission's proposals.
About the Espionage Act
The Law Commission is advising the Governm
ent how to update the law about classified state secrets - they want a new
Espionage Act to increase the penalties\, and allow journalists handling
secret documents to be treated like spies.
Their proposals would st
op investigative journalism and public-interest whistleblowing concerning
the secret state.
Would you risk 14 years in jail just for examinin
g secret documents?
Whistleblowers and journalists wouldn't be able
to use a public interest defence to protect themselves if they were prose
cuted under the proposed Espionage Act. Instead\, government staff would h
ave to raise concerns internally. Journalists would have to turn down requ
ests to investigate and report - or risk jail.
Journalists and whis
tleblowers wouldn't have to give the documents to foreign powers\, cause h
arm or even publish the documents to be jailed for 14 years.
Event
Details
Location: The Sovereign Suite\, Cosmopolitan Hotel\, Leeds\
, LS1 4AE.
Timings: Please arrive from 18:15\, the event will begin
at approx. 18:30\, there will be the opportunity to socialise before and
afterwards.
Our lead speaker for the evening will be Jim Killock\,
Executive Director of the Open Rights Group\, who will be providing an ove
rview of the proposed law and its implications followed by a Q&\;amp\;A
style discussion.
About the speaker:
Since joining Open Rig
hts Group in January 2009\, Jim has led numerous campaigns on digital righ
ts issues\, most recently against the Investigatory Powers Act (Snoopers C
harter) and the Digital Economy Bill.
He was named as one of the 50
most influential people on IP issues by Managing IP in 2012. In the same
year ORG won Liberty's Human Rights Campaigner of Year award alongside 38
Degrees\, for work on issues from copyright to the Snooper&rsquo\;s Charte
r.
Before joining ORG\, Jim worked as External Communications Co-or
dinator of the Green Party. At the Green Party\, he promoted campaigns on
open source\, intellectual property and digital rights. He was also a lead
ing figure in the campaign to elect their first party leader\, Caroline Lu
cas MP.
Sign the petition
Nearly 20\,000 people have already
signed the Open Rights Group's petition\, demanding the Law Commission dr
op plans to criminalise journalists and public-interest whistleblowers. Sp
eak up by signing the petition today! Thank you.
More info: https://opentechcalendar.co.uk/event/5089-14-years-in -prison-for-doing-journalism-an-in-dept
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DTSTART:20170412T173000Z DTEND:20170412T193000Z SEQUENCE:0 DTSTAMP:20170322T000755Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR