Cecil A. Wright Lecture 2002

In 2002, the Cecil A. Wright Memorial Lecture was given by Prof. Harold Hongju Koh of Yale Law School, on the topic of "Human Rights in the Age of Terror".

In the aftermath of the destruction of the World Trade Centre, many members of society have deemed September 11th the beginning of the “age of terror.” 

The effects of this new era can be construed as immediate, with a seeming erosion of the foundational value of human rights. Appropriately, “Human Rights in the Age of Terror” was the selected topic for this year’s annual Cecil A. Wright Lecture, which featured a compelling speech by Prof. Harold Hongju Koh of Yale Law School. 

Despite pressure to recede to a global landscape of protectionism and the imposition of unilateral morals, Prof. Koh argued for the sustained adherence to international human rights standards. “The observance of human rights is a measure of the rectitude of our actions,” Koh articulated. 

In his concluding remarks, Prof. Koh argued strongly against the use of military tribunals and in favour of adjudication via the court system. Without such a separation of powers and adherence to due process, international treaties stand to be violated and the “rule of law” undermined, he concluded.