Programme

Sexual Freedom, Equality and the Right to Gender Identity as a Site of Legal and Political Struggles

Thursday 11 December 2014

   
08:30-08:45

Coffee and registration

08:45-09:00

Welcome speech

Pro-Rector of the University of Oslo professor Ragnhild Hennum and Project leader professor Anne Hellum Department of Public and International Law, UoO

09:00-11:45

Session 1:

Equality and freedom for whom? LGBTI-challenges to international and regional human rights law

Chair: Professor Anne Hellum, Department of Public and International Law, UoO

 

Michael O’Flaherty, Professor of Law, National University of Ireland: Human rights law as applied to LGBTI people: Background and implications of the Yogyakarta principles. Who and what do the Yogyakarta principles protect? (35 minutes)

Dianne Otto, Professor of Law, University of Melbourne: Queering Gender in International Law (25 minutes)

Rikki Holtmaat, Professor of Law, Leiden University: CEDAW and LGBTI Rights; can CEDAW be used to enhance the human rights of LGBTI persons? (25 minutes)

10:25 - 10:40 Coffee

Commentators: Conceptualizing gender in international human rights discourse

Agnes Bolsø, Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, NTNU (10 minutes)

Violeta Neubauer, Vice-Chair of the CEDAW Committee (10 minutes)

 

General discussion

11:45-13:15

Session 2:

Regional human rights perspectives on the development of LGBTI rights the role of international, regional and national courts

Chair: Associate professor Ingunn Ikdahl, Department of Public and International Law, UoO

 

Mads Andenæs, Professor of Law, University of Oslo: The Development of LGBTI Rights in the European Human Rights Convention (20 minutes)

Annika Rudman, Associate Professor of Law, University of Stellenbosch: Development of LGBTI Right under the African Human Rights Charter (20 minutes)

Vikram Kolmannskog, Dr. Philos: The Development of LGBTI Rights in Indian courts (20 minutes)

Malcolm Langford, Senior researcher CMI: Lawfare on LGBTI Rights: Global Trends and Patterns (20 minutes)

 

General discussion

13:15-14:15

Lunch break

14:15-17:00

Session 3:

Law in Action: Sexual orientation and gender identity in anti-discrimination and equality laws and policies.

Chair: Associate professor Vibeke Blaker Strand, the Norwegian Center of Human Rights, UoO

 

Ronald Craig, The Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud: Mechanisms and characteristics of discrimination (25 minutes)

Silvan Agius, Policy coordinator (Human Rights) Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Malta: Maltese strategies for ensuring promotion of LGBT-rights through legislation and institutions (25 minutes)

Hans Ytterberg, former Ombudsman against Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, Sweden: Strategies for Sexual Orientation Reform in Sweden (20 minutes)

15:25 – 15:40 Coffee

Lene Løvdal, The Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud: The Act on prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression: individual and structural discrimination (20 minutes)

Commentators: Legal strategies for the protection of LGTBI rights

May-Len Skilbrei, Professor IKRS, UoO (10 minutes)

Oddvar Thorbjørnsen, Legal Advisor, LLH (10 minutes)

 

General discussion

 

Friday 12 December 2014

     
08:45-09:00

Coffee and registration

09:00-12:30

Session 4:

Trans* and intersex persons’ right to recognition, identity and autonomy in international and national law

Chair: Professor Kirsten Sandberg

 

Marco Perolini, Amnesty International’s expert on discrimination, Leader of Amnesty International’s report, “The state decides who I am: lack of legal recognition for transgender people in Europe” (35 minutes)

Alex Sharpe, Professor of Law, Keele University: Sexual Intimacy, Gender Variance and the Criminal Law (35 minutes)

Mette Hartlev, Professor of Law, University of Copenhagen: Legal gender recognition in Denmark (25 minutes)

10:35 – 10:50 Coffee

Anniken Sørlie, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Oslo: Legal gender recognition and legal gender in Norwegian law (25 minutes).
 

Commentators: Legal gender recognition in Norway: challenges and aims

Luca Dalen Espseth, Counselor on Gender Diversity: The National Association for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (LLH) (10 minutes)

Silvan Agius, Policy coordinator (Human Rights) Ministry for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Malta (10 minutes)

 

General discussion

12:30-13:15

Lunch break

13:15-15:45

Session 5:

Children’s right to self-determination and the right to protection against unnecessary medical intervention: comparative perspectives

Chair: Professor Ragnhild Hennum

 

Kirsten Sandberg, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor of Law, University of Oslo: Children with LGBTI parents and LGBTI children, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (25 minutes)fff

Konstanze Plett, Professor of Law, University of Bremen: Children’s right to self-determination in light of the German Civil Status Act (25 minutes).

Theresia Mumbua Matheka, Magistrate Court in Kenya: Intersex children: reflections on the basis of experiences from her work as a magistrate (25 minutes).

14:30 – 14:45 Coffee

Commentators: (Title to be announced)

Esben Esther Pirelli Benestad, Professor of Sexology, UoO (10 minutes)

Tove Lundberg, PhD-fellow, Lund University (10 minutes)

 

15:45-17:00

Session 6: Summing up panel

Chair: Professor Anne Hellum

Violeta Neubauer, Vice-Chair of the CEDAW Committee

Kirsten Sandberg, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor of Law, University of Oslo

Elena D'Angelo, Project Officer UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute

Michael O'Flaherty, Professor of Law, National University of Ireland

Inger Kristin Haugsevje, Head Board Member LLH

Stein Wolff Frydenlund, Steering Committee Member TGEU, Head Trans Political Committee, LLH

 

 

Published Oct. 20, 2014 9:57 AM - Last modified June 1, 2018 12:37 PM