Congratulations to our PhD student Ingrid Ivarsen, who has been awarded a highly competitive Scouloudi Research Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research, London, for completion of her thesis on the Anglo-Saxon laws.

The ILCR held the second of its ‘Talking Law’ events on 3^rd May 2019 in Parliament Hall, The Trial of Daenerys Targaryen. The event aimed to encourage discussion of humanitarian law between students, members of the public, and legal professionals by dramatizing a trial based on the popular book and television series Game of Thrones. The audience received jury bundles with all necessary background material, allowing everyone to follow the trial, even those who had not watched the show. The evening began with a musical rendition of the Game of Thrones theme by a Fife-based band. Using a trial set up, including a judge (Professor Malik Dahlan) and barristers (Harry Potter and Dr Mateja Peter) for the defence and prosecution, Daenerys Targaryen was charged with two counts of violating international law. The barristers presented their cases, and cross examined the accused. A panel of legal experts then answered questions and considered the ongoing legal implications raised by the trial, which included questions of jurisdiction and enforcement, along with current approaches to the legality of revenge. The trial closed with the audience, who constituted the jury, finding Daenerys guilty of the arbitrary deprivation of life but not guilty of inflicting torture and mutilation. Finally the audience was treated to a video lecture on Game of Thrones by the Oxford professor Carolyne Larrington.

The call for papers is still open for the 38th annual conference of the Australian and New Zealand Law and History Society, in Melbourne 11-14^th December 2019: for information, see https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/events/2019-anzlhs-conference

On 7 May, 5–6.30pm, the School of International Relations will hold its first annual Distinguished Teacher Lecture. Professor Robbie Shilliam of Johns Hopkins University will be speaking on ‘British Empire, the Academy, and International Relations’.

In Season 4 of HBO’s Game of Thrones, Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen conquered Meereen – the last of the great slave cities – and crucified 163 Great Masters. According to Daenerys her action answered ‘injustice with justice’, but should she be found guilty of crimes against International Humanitarian Law?

Please join the Institute of Legal and Constitutional Research (ILCR) as we put Daenerys on trial for her actions. Following the mock tribunal an expert panel will explore current legal issues arising from Daenerys’ case – and then you, the jury, get to decide.

Date: May 3, 2019
Venue: Parliament Hall
Time: 5-7 pm

The event is free, but tickets are required and can be found here.