INTERACT conversations #17

Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 48, 14195 Berlin, 15 June 2026, 16:00

Researching Political Trials
A conversation with Prof. David Whyte

As part of the INTERACT conversation series, we welcome David Whyte to discuss the report “Britain’s Political Prisoners” published by the Center for Climate Crime and Climate Justice in May 2026. The report analyses the legal clampdown on contemporary climate protest and Palestine solidarity in Britain, using novel methods of research with movement organisations to identify relevant cases. The conversation will address methodological questions regarding the study of political trials, address parallels and differences regarding current legal responses to protest in Germany and Britain and inquire into the purposes of trial documentation in this context.

The conversation will take place in English and is organized by Dr. Hannah Franzki, head of the Research Group “Blurring Boundaries” in the context of ongoing research on the criminal prosecution of protests in solidarity with Palestine.

About the speaker:

David Whyte is Professor of Climate Justice at the School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London and also the director of the Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice. David Whyte’s research focusses on the relationship between law and corporate power.  He has researched the regulation of business in a wide range of contexts (including working conditions, institutional fraud and corruption, economies of war and conflict,  human rights violations and ecocide. His current research focusses on legal responses to climate change, corporate accountability for climate change and climate justice in the workplace.

He is co-author of the report “Britain’s Political Prisoners”.