'Terrorist' murder: the cases of Adebolajo & Adebowale and Mair Public Lecture by The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence

Richard Whittam QC was First Senior Treasury Counsel [Crime]. He is a Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder of the Crown (authorised to sit at the Central Criminal Court), a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and is the Independent Examiner for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

He was the Legal 500 Crime Silk of the Year 2018 and was the Chambers and Partners Crime Silk of the Year in 2016. He has been commissioned by OUP to review Blackstone's material on corporate criminal liability, deferred prosecution agreements and homicide. In addition, Richard is an RFU Judicial Officer and a member of the European Professional Club Rugby discipline panel.

His experience in terrorist cases is extensive. He prosecuted:

• Anjem Choudary: the 'hate preacher'
• Saajid Badat: the potential shoe bomber who was associated with Richard Reid, and dealt with the SOCPA hearings
• Ali and others for 'the liquid bomb plot': the conspiracy simultaneously to blow up seven transatlantic aircraft, which is why passengers cannot take liquids in hand luggage
• Adebolajo and Adebowale: the murderers of Lee Rigby
• Thomas Alexander Mair: the murderer of Jo Cox MP
• Ciaran Maxwell: the serving Royal Marine who had caches of bomb making equipment and ammunition and who had connections with dissident Irish republicans

In addition, Richard responded to the appeal by Alexander Maxwell, formerly Marine A, who killed an injured Taliban fighter, and was instructed to intervene on behalf of the Attorney General in Kahar & Others, when a five judge Court of Appeal considered guidance to sentencing in s5 terrorism cases. In this public lecture, Richard will contrast the cases of Adebolajo & Adebowale and Thomas Mair.

This public lecture is organised by The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence as part of a programme of events to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the foundation of the Centre and all are welcome to attend.