Garden Court Chambers recently hosted a debate on whistleblowing with Kathryn Bolkovac, a former UN Human Rights Investigator dismissed and vilified for disclosing the truth about UN and international forces involvement in trafficking of women and girls for prostitution in Bosnia. Highlights are available on Garden Court Web TV's YouTube Channel using the link at the foot of this page.
The debate coincides with the publication of The Whistleblower. Kathryn successfully fought a legal battle to challenge a dismissal and allegation of fraud, fabricated to remove her from her job because of her raising issues of complicity by international personnel in the facilitation and use of trafficked woman and girls.
Kathryn was represented by Garden Court barrister Stephanie Harrison who is renowned for her work in defending civil liberties and human rights. Stephanie will be speaking about the limits of legal protection for those like Kathryn, who put themselves on the line - exposing serious wrong doing and seeking to hold government and other bodies to account for human rights violations. With 20 years' experience as a barrister, she works on cases spanning immigration, discrimination, public law and detention.
The debate will also be addressed by Simon Israel of Channel 4 News. Simon will discuss the implications for press freedom, of repressive measures against people like Kathryn who expose abuse and involvement in major human rights violations.
The Whistleblower: Sex Trafficking, Military Contractors, and One Woman's Fight for Justice is published on 24 January 2011 by Palgrave Maxmillan. The book has been made into a film, also called The Whistleblower and starring Rachel Weisz. The actress describes Ms Bolkovac as "a remarkable woman who has had the courage to tell the truth and stand up for the victims of sex trafficking, putting her own life on the line". See a review of the film in "The Independent".
Read coverage from "The Guardian" law pages, including an extract from the book.
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