It saddens me that, in the space of just two days, I find myself writing how a single event has led to shelving of previous bias, stereotype and opinion. On Tuesday, it was Jade Goody’s efforts to raise awareness of her illness; the article being a direct response to a piece published in The Times newspaper. Today however, my attention turns to David Cameron, the conservative leader, who sadly lost his six-year old son in the early hours of this morning.

Ivan Cameron, a “brave child” who faced the tragedy of severe epilepsy, passed this morning after battling with the illness since his birth. As a life-long anti-Conservative, I was deeply moved by this, both on a personal and political level. No parent should ever have to deal with losing a child, and I can’t imagine how Mr. and Mrs. Cameron are feeling at the moment. Rightly so, they have been granted their privacy and today’s PMQs has been cancelled.

As a parent dealing with a terminally ill child, Mr. Cameron daily life was dictated by hospital appointments, home treatment and working with his son’s carers; his politics was no different. Constant dealings with the NHS led to the Conservative’s adaptation of ‘compassionate conservatism’, a move away from the ‘nasty party’ image advocated by Theresa May, the one-time party secretary. Mr. Cameron recognised the value of the NHS and the important role it plays in people lives on a daily basis.

When Mr. Cameron does come back to work, I’m sure that the memory of his beloved son will be a driving force behind his campaign; an angelic inspiration of the highest value.

Rest in Peace Ivan.

When Jade Goody emerged from her embrace with her then-fiancee Jack following his release from prison, the reality television cynic in me awoke. Over the last few years, my transition from avid big-brother viewer to hater of anything involving a sub c-list celebrity has been completed. I dislike celebrity and everything that comes with it.

That was, until last week. On a mundane motorway trip, the middle aged man in me decided to tune into Five Live’s phone-in, where it became apparent from a barrage of callers that Jade Goody had done something amazing – she had single handedly increased awareness of cervical cancer. Women of all ages were calling the show, telling the world that, thanks to the potent images of Jade in recent weeks, they had booked smear tests with their GPs. This is absolutely extraordinary. I am an avid believer that there is no greater feat than saving a life, and Mrs. Goody may have just done that a hundred times over.

The footage of Jade reacting to her chemotherapy is brutal, but necessary, as it shows the reality of the situation: hair loss, weakness and nausea. However, it’s when the camera focuses on Mrs. Goody in a tight embrace with her husband and children that we see where the real sadness of the situation lies.

Her children will lose a mother and her husband will lose a wife.

If Jade’s programs and the increasing news footage teach us anything, its that life is far too short. We’ve got to do the utmost to keep our health, and, just as importantly, our family.

I wish Jade eternal peace.

For information on smear tests please visit: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/

King’s Bench Magazine is proud to announce the launch of King’s College London TV.

Armed with nothing more than a video camera and a voice made for television, Dominic Hatje has produced the inaugral video podcasts which are available to view online either at http://kingscollegelondont.blip.tv or via iTunes (simply search for King’s College London television).

If you would like to get involved in the production of the podcasts, please contact either myself or Dominic ( or respectively).

Look out for the new edition of the magazine shortly.

Yours as always,
Ryan

Last week a video emerged showing Prince Harry referring to one of his fellow soldiers, an Asian man, as a ‘Paki’, whilst he was training with the British Army. This was subsequently followed by an official statement, telling of an apology from the Prince himself who seemingly felt great remorse for his comments. Indeed, viewed subjectively, it seems clear that the Prince himself is not a racist. His remarks were more than likely meant in jest, with the Prince himself stating that the video was intended for his fellow cadets, and that the victim was a close friend.

However, this is besides the point. If one takes the use of the word ‘Paki’ objectively, then there is a clear difficulty in accepting the Prince’s apology and following Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s approach of ‘…giving him the benefit of the doubt’. Whilst Prince Harry has indeed done many wonderful things for charity, in addition to demonstrating his bravery in the Afghanistan last year, it is difficult to forgive the Prince quite so easily. Continue reading “Royal Racism”

Hello.

So its Christmas, and you’re one of our readers. With that, I offer you warmth and seasonal goodwill for the festive period – enjoy the copious amounts of food, alcohol and family bonding time this December, and remember that too much of each can end in tears. Especially the latter. My Uncle Ray is still banned from family events after his shenanigans last year…dirty bastard.

On with a more significant, and potentially patronising tone… a small mantra for the new year if you will: Don’t stress too much, be merry and, once the feel good factor has worn off, and you find yourself entering 2009 decrepit and hung over, remember that your favourite magazine will be back and better than ever.

That’s right, Private Eye is having a re-launch in January.

However, if paying for a publication isn’t your thing, then look out for a copy of King’s Bench magazine. Armed with the regular, and backed up by the new, readers can look forward to more fashion shoots, short story competitions, high profile interviews and much much more.

So, merry Christmas and a happy new year from all at the King’s Bench team.

Oh, and don’t treat this as a group message. Our magazine is personal like that. If you feel like returning the sentiment, well, just do it.

Yours,

Ryan Wain
Editor & Designer

(Photo by stephendl used under a Creative Commons license)

Dear All,

I hope the first issue of this academic year’s King’s Bench magazine has reached you well- if not, be sure to grab a copy from the JJP room in the law school, or from any of the King’s Bench team after lectures, and around campus- it’s definitely not one to be missed!

Looking ahead to the next issue, we are currently seeking contributors, comprising both law and non-law students. The theme of the next issue is ‘Evolution versus Regression.’ Thus, hopefully a topic which should conjure up some interesting discussion points. Possible starting points for this topic could include: the changing political landscape, the economy, culture, and technology, but this list is by no means exhaustive, and we hope to see your ideas extend far beyond these areas.

Additionally we are seeking contributions to the next issue in other areas, which include:

• Features: This would be ideal for students who do not wish to write an article, but have innovative and exciting ideas for our features pages.
• City guide: Do you feel that you know the ins and outs of a city which could be of interest? An off the beaten track guide as it were…
• Events: Are there any events which you have attended/plan to attend, which you would like to write about?
• Societies: Is there a particular society which you feel deserves some recognition? Or maybe, you would like to fill the gap in the existing group of societies by creating a new one?
• Careers: Do you know of any interesting career paths which you feel King’s students ought to know about?
• Speakers’ corner: Got something to say? Why not share it with everyone, or… if you would prefer to be anonymous in doing so, please email .

The reccommended word limit for articles is 1,000 words, and the deadline for all contributions to be submitted to the King’s Bench team is Wednesday 26th November 2008.

Please send your submissions to . If you have any queries, feel free to contact Ryan: 0770873951, or Christina: 07794069183, who will be happy to deal with any queries which you may have.

Kind Regards
Victoria Essien
Communications Officer
King’s Bench Magazine

The publication of Basil Haady’s article (“Homosexuality: The Big Debate”, pg 26) in the last issue of King’s Bench has effected a considerable reaction. Some of this has been negative: criticising our decision to publish the article, as well as the manner in which we have done so. However, much of the criticism of our decision to publish the admittedly controversial piece appears to have overlooked the direct rebuttal of the arguments of Mr. Haady in Richard Harmer’s article which we published simultaneously.

King’s Bench was established as a forum for debate amongst the student body. Our editorial decisions are therefore not based on our personal opinions; nor should they be. After much discussion of the sensitivities involved, the editorial team came to the unanimous decision that it was in the public interest that the extreme opinions which Mr. Haady’s article represents, were exposed, countered and subjected, as they indeed were, to rigorous analysis and constructive debate rather than suppressed and ignored.

The very fact of Mr. Haady’s article undermines the suggestion of some of our critics that in the United Kingdom at least further debate on the broad premises and misconceptions expressed in Mr. Haady’s article, objectionable as they might be to some, is redundant.

Moreover, our editorial choices are also informed in significant part by our international and multicultural setting and took account of much broader cross-cultural perspectives of homosexuality, which (between males) is still outlawed in as many as 83 countries.

The charge that the publication of Mr. Haady’s article was in some way an implicit endorsement of the views expressed, or worse, a threat to the wholesome community spirit within the student body at King’s is of the greatest concern to us. With the benefit of hindsight we can see how giving the subject-matter the title “The Big Debate” may have given an impression of moral equivalence of the views expressed. However “The Big Debate” is simply a template that the magazine designed to highlight the absence of editorial intrusion between competing or conflicting views or attitudes. The general disclaimer on page 51 reinforces this policy. Moreover, the overwhelmingly supportive reaction not just from the LGBT community but from the student body as a whole, evidenced in our personal correspondence as well as our public fora, happily negates the latter charge.

Finally, we acknowledge that the fact that the article was written under a pseudonym has been a matter of concern to some of our readers. We accept these and have since made it our policy not to publish anonymous articles.

We sincerely regret any offence caused by the publication of the article and hope that this editorial note will serve to reassure all our readers of the balance that we seek to achieve in promoting the constructive debate of issues in the marketplace of ideas. On the preceding page we publish a further rebuttal of Mr. Haady’s arguments by Professor Robert Wintemute and we will continue to post contributions from the student body on the messageboard of our Facebook group and on our website.

We are happy to announce that Ravi Mehta has won the inaugural King’s Bench Essay Prize. Catherine Greenwood and Dominic Hatje came second and third respectively. Ravi has won an internship with our sponsors, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a £150 cash prize and a trophy. His winning essay will be published in the next issue of King’s Bench. Catherine and Dominic have been awarded prizes of £60 and £40 respectively. All three essays can be found on this website.

Professor Alan Dashwood, who judged the competition, announced the prizes at a small reception held at the Luncheon Room of the Inner Temple on March 19, 2008. We thank all those who submitted entries and look forward to launching the 2008/2009 competition in late September.

Hi everyone,

King’s Bench, London’s top student magazine, is once again inviting contributions from you all. This is a great opportunity to get your work published and become involved with one of the fastest-growing societies at King’s. What’s more, all contributors will be entered into raffle draw to win a pair of Signature cufflinks from Austin Reed, one of our sponsors. There are many ways to get involved:

Write an ARTICLE (of approx. 1000 words) on the theme for our next issue: ‘Peace in Our Time’.

King’s Bench embraces individuality and there’s so much scope for your creative flair. However, you may find some of the following ideas useful:

• What best is the way forward in Iraq? Should we stay the course and continue to pay the ‘blood price’ or should we cut and run? What are the prospects of the Annapolis Peace Process? Will Mr Bush salvage his legacy before he leaves the Oval Office? Should the Government renew the Trident nuclear missile system or get rid of it unilaterally? What do you think of the phrase ‘War on Terror’?
• From North Korea to Sudan, Kenya to Pakistan there is just so much to write about and nothing is off limits, so make your voice heard!

Write a THEATRE REVIEW.

Seen a brilliant play or musical recently? We are so lucky at King’s to have Theatreland on our doorstep: ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (the musical) is on at Drury Lane, Ewan McGregor and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in ‘Othello’ at the Donmar Warehouse and ‘Blackbird’ the international award-winning play opens soon at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

So why not take your heads out of those books for a couple of hours, go see a play and in c.700 words tell us what you thought?

Make a CHARITY or other EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT.

In 100 words or fewer, let us know what event you are organising, when it will be held and how and why people should get involved.

SPEAKER’S CORNER – You’re the speaker, King’s Bench is your corner: have your voice heard anonymously on a topic (or annoyance) of your choice.

Send us your PHOTOS related to your life at King’s!

Whether they are of society-organised events or just mad nights out at the Waterfront, we want them all!

All material should be submitted in Microsoft Word format and sent to . Alongside each of these, we want your full name, the course you are enrolled in and your year of study. We also ask that you submit a picture of yourself.

ALUMNI SUBSCRIPTIONS

King’s Bench is introducing an alumni service. For just £10 a year (minus postage), you will be able to continue to receive copies of KB when you leave. If you’re interested, please send an email to .

KING’S BENCH IS RECRUITING

Looking to join a vibrant, progressive student publication? Here’s your chance:

PHOTO EDITOR – We are looking for a creative, hardworking, energetic photographer tojoin the ranks. You will get the opportunity to meet influential people from all walks of life, expenses-paid travel to featured events and will share creative responsibility for the all the photography work in each issue. Whilst the position is unpaid, all expenses will be covered.

We are also looking for a new EDITOR, an ALUMNI OFFICER and a COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.

If you are interested in any of these positions send a brief paragraph to describing why you would suit the role along with an article or review demonstrating your writing skills.

*Please note that these opportunities are open to students right across King’s and are by no means limited to those studying law.

If you have any questions or would like to know a bit more about the magazine, just drop me a line and I will be more than happy to help.

Finally, don’t forget to check out our website at www.kbkcl.co.uk, and to join our mailing list and Facebook group to keep up to date with all the latest goings-on, both within King’s and KB.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Stretch the breadth of your intellect and offer us the results! King’s Bench Magazine, in association with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, has just launched its inaugural annual essay competition. Here is your opportunity to get involved.

The prize is an award for an essay of outstanding quality by a King’s College, London undergraduate or postgraduate student on a title set by the current KB editorial team. It will be judged by Professor Alan Dashwood, formerly Director in the Legal Service of the Council of the European Union and the founding editor of the European Law Review.

The Essay Title – ‘Does EU law need to protect fundamental human rights?’

The winner will receive one week’s work experience with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a £150 cash prize, a trophy and publication of their essay. The runners-up will also receive cash prizes and will have their work published on our website.

Essays, a maximum of 2,000 words length (including footnotes), should be typed in size 12 Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and should include the name and year of study of the author in a headnote. Submissions must be sent as an email attachment to no later than 12pm on Friday February 15.

Please email me at if you have any questions. Otherwise get writing!