Criminology Reading Group: Supporting Victim-Survivors in the Armed Forces

The University of Edinburgh Criminology Reading Group Seminar Series 2020/2021 presents:

Supporting Victim-Survivors in the Armed Forces

Speaker: Emma Norton, Director & Lead Lawyer at Centre for Military Justice

Emma Norton, Director and lead lawyer, founded Centre for Military Justice. She is the former head of the legal team at the human rights organisation Liberty, where she worked for ten years. Prior to that, she worked in the public law and civil liberties team at the law firm, Bindmans.

Emma acted for the families of three of the young trainees who died at Deepcut barracks in Surrey in 1995, cases that revealed a bullying, sexualised and abusive environment for young soldiers. She also represented the family of the late Cpl Anne-Marie Ellement who died after reporting rape and bullying in the Army. Cpl Ellement’s inquest led to a prosecution and significant changes to Army policies on how victims of sexual crime should be treated. Emma represented Joe Ousalice, the LGBT veteran who successfully challenged the MoD’s refusal to restore his Long Service & Good Conduct medal after he was thrown out of the Navy because of his sexuality.

Emma continues to represent many service women who have suffered sexual assaults and sexual harassment, other victims of bullying including racist bullying, and bereaved families. She has written on a range of military subjects and is the author of the report ‘Military Justice – Second Rate Justice’ published in 2019. She has commented widely on these issues in both print and broadcast media. Emma lectures twice a year at the Defence Academy on human rights and the Armed Forces.

More infromation about the Centre for Military Justice

This event will take place for an hour with an opportunity for Q&A and discussion towards the end.

The event is free for all, but registration is required (see registration link below).

Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash

Event Link

Register on Eventbrite