ALHR annual dinner with special guest Dan Mori
On 3 May 2013, ALHR hosted its annual dinner with the support of the International Law Association and the International Commission of Jurists.
For those of you who missed out this time, Major Dan Mori reflected on the “war on terror” since September 11, 2001 and questioned whether the current situation is so different to past conflicts that it truly justifies the substantial increase in executive power that has occurred. He spoke particularly about the use of drone warfare and the mainstreaming of executive-directed killings – a trend that has seen a shift towards overt extra-judicial targeted killings.
Through lively debate and thoughtful questions from the floor, Major Mori’s talk canvassed the shifting and ambiguous concepts of terrorists and terrorism, particularly in the context of non-international armed conflict. He examined the shift in societal norms that now enables governments not only to publicly plan, but also be hailed for, executive-directed killings. He questioned the validity of these actions under international law.
Proceeds raised by the annual dinner will go towards the activities of ALHR, ICJ and ILA in promoting human rights, international law and the rule of law in Australia.
