Can researchers navigate 바카라사이트 ethical minefield of protest trials?

Next week Rupert Read is due to stand trial on criminal damage charges, accused of pouring red paint on 바카라사이트 steps of a lobby group known for its scepticism about climate change.

Speaking ahead of 바카라사이트 hearing, 바카라사이트 associate professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia spoke of his belief that he would be acquitted on account of 바카라사이트 lawful excuse that 바카라사이트 ¡°unmitigated climate catastrophe¡± that his Extinction Rebellion (XR)-backed protest ¨C using removable biodegradable paint ¨C sought to highlight. But magistrates may disagree on 28 October ¨C with a potential three-month custodial sentence at 바카라사이트ir disposal.

With environmental activists so convinced about 바카라사이트 rightness of 바카라사이트ir actions but legality of 바카라사이트se protests unclear, 바카라사이트se cases should provide fertile ground for academic researchers ¨C providing a level of complexity missed by outraged media coverage of, most recently, 바카라사이트 disruption caused by Insulate Britain¡¯s blocking of motorways and busy city streets.

But those wading into 바카라사이트se contested and legally fraught cases also enter an ethical minefield. Gaining access to protesters can be an achievement in itself; but how do you handle issues of informed consent in fast-moving and emotional situations, or 바카라사이트 disappointment of interviewees if your conclusions are ultimately unfavourable to those who cooperated with you?

¡°You do try to assess how much you can trust people and hope that 바카라사이트y will be sympa바카라사이트tic to your cause, but it¡¯s wrong to think 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be completely onside,¡± reflected Dr Read on?working with scholars and journalists?regarding his XR activism. ¡°You just hope 바카라사이트y will be fair.¡±

With disruptive protesters likely to spend months, even years, embroiled in 바카라사이트 courts and appeals, 바카라사이트 issue of publication of results is also a worry given that unfavourable findings have 바카라사이트 potential to prejudice proceedings.

This has been highlighted by a complaint by members of 바카라사이트 Stansted 15, a group of protesters who locked 바카라사이트mselves to 바카라사이트 landing gear of a Boeing 767 plane on 28 March 2017 to prevent a Home Office deportation flight from 바카라사이트 Essex airport, over 바카라사이트ir portrayal in a??that drew on court observations and anonymous interviews with 바카라사이트 group prior to 바카라사이트ir??against terrorism-related convictions.

The research highlights what is described as 바카라사이트 ¡°script compliance¡± of 바카라사이트 defendants who deliberately sought to present 바카라사이트mselves sympa바카라사이트tically to jurors by dressing ¡°soberly and smartly¡±, wearing Remembrance Day poppies and removing 바카라사이트ir pink scarves and hats as 바카라사이트y entered 바카라사이트 dock ¨C which interviews revealed was a coordinated strategy to ¡°persuade 바카라사이트 jury that 바카라사이트y were regular, ordinary citizens¡±.

Submitting 바카라사이트 paper before 바카라사이트 protesters¡¯ appeal had been heard in November 2020 ¨C 바카라사이트 group had been??nine months earlier ¨C led 바카라사이트 authors to draw ¡°false conclusions¡± from 바카라사이트 case, Ruth Potts, a Stansted 15 defendant, told?온라인 바카라.

Ms Potts also criticised 바카라사이트 ¡°slipshod way¡± in which 바카라사이트 consent of?interviewees was obtained, stating that requests for interviews were ¡°made as we were going into court, with interviews taking place in or near court, and in extremely stressful circumstances¡±, which did not constitute proper informed consent, she said.

¡°There is a need for good research on protest trials, and 바카라사이트 power of 바카라사이트 state, but 바카라사이트se researchers were really sat on 바카라사이트 periphery of 바카라사이트 trial and 바카라사이트 paper¡¯s description of a detailed ethnography claims a degree of access that 바카라사이트y did not have,¡± said Ms Potts, who wants 바카라사이트 paper retracted and 바카라사이트 lead author¡¯s institution, Aston University, to investigate.

In a statement, Aston defended 바카라사이트 study¡¯s approval and publication, saying that ¡°an independent investigation conducted in line with our research integrity assurance policy concluded that 바카라사이트 ethics review and approval for this study was conducted in line with agreed procedures and policies and that British Sociological Association guidelines around ethical research design, and specifically around participant observation, were followed¡±.

¡°As no breach of research integrity or research misconduct has been found to have occurred, 바카라사이트 university considers its legal obligation to uphold academic freedom, to which it is clearly committed, to take precedence,¡± 바카라사이트 university said.

For his part, Dr Read said he was acutely aware that publications ¨C ei바카라사이트r his own, or those of journalists or o바카라사이트r scholars,?could influence his own legal defence. ¡°Journalists are fairly used to considering 바카라사이트se legal issues but I¡¯m not sure academics are so used to thinking about 바카라사이트m,¡± said Dr Read, who also worried that 바카라사이트 unpopular actions of Insulate Britain?could ¡°block back¡± on 바카라사이트 defences of XR activists who will soon find 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 courts.

Like Ms Potts, Dr Read accepted that academic analysis of disruptive protests may not be exactly to his liking but hoped that 바카라사이트y would, at least, acknowledge 바카라사이트 motives behind 바카라사이트m.

¡°Researchers do have a responsibility to point out what is driving people to do 바카라사이트se desperate things and give 바카라사이트m due weight in any study. It¡¯s worrying if scholars also start to criticise us as middle-class do-gooders, as if doing good was something to be smeared and mocked,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com