Stephen Green, former chairman of HSBC, has stepped down from giving a speech at the Global Law Summit, which is taking place on 22-25 February, at which he was due to speak alongside Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.
Stephen Green stepped down from CityUK last weekend, one of the main financial organisations behind the summit, following revelations about HSBC’s role in tax avoidance.
The Global Law Summit, a government-organised celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, is largely being financed by city law firms. The website promotes the event as a “unique one-off high level business forum”, basically an investment opportunity for big business.
We believe that it is hypocritical of the government to hold this event commemorating the Magna Carta, while their reforms have undermined access to justice and decimated the system, by slashing the legal aid budget, making drastic cuts to funding, closing courts, as well as privatising policing, probation and prison services.
Speak up for Justice is supporting Relay for Rights, a march from Runnymede on 21 February, where the Magna Carta was signed, to Westminster, where the summit is being held, on 23 February. We are supporting the event to remind the government of their duty to provide justice for all.
For more information on Relay for Rights, including details of how to get involved, please see here.
For more updates on the event, please see the Facebook page.
