Lawyer who defended Guantánamo Bay terror suspects now holds mock trials for ...

Lawyer who defended Guantánamo Bay terror suspects now holds mock trials for ...
Lawyer who defended Guantánamo Bay terror suspects now holds mock trials for ...

The mastermind behind a mock trial for school children in which pupils are 'brainwashed' into accusing politicians of 'messing up the world' is a human rights lawyer who once jumped to the defence of Guantánamo Bay terror suspects, it has been revealed.

Clive Stafford Smith and his campaign charity, the 3D Centre, came under fire for using students as young as 12 to bring fictional claims against Richard Drax.   

They tried to pin slavery 'charges' against the former British Army officer over his relatives' role in the trade hundreds of years ago.

The fake prosecutor accused the MP for Dorset of 'benefitting from the proceeds of slavery'.

The brains behind the stunt, Mr Stafford Smith - who pretended to be a judge during the mock hearing - has represented more than 300 prisoners facing the death penalty in the United States, including some of the 'most despised', according to fellow not-for-profit, Reprieve.

The left-wing campaigner sued for access to suspected terrorists at the notorious US detention camp in 2001, believing the conditions were 'an affront to democracy and the rule of law', being labelled a 'traitor' at the time for defending the detainees. 

The event was organised by human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith (pictured, smirking as he pretended to be a judge)

The event was organised by human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith (pictured, smirking as he pretended to be a judge)

Teachers from All Saints School in Weymouth and The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis were slammed for bringing fictional claims against Richard Drax

Teachers from All Saints School in Weymouth and The Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis were slammed for bringing fictional claims against Richard Drax

What is the 3DCentre? Non-for profit run left wing lawyers

3DCentre is a UK charity founded by Clive Stafford Smith. It campaigns against what it sees as injustice, fights cases and, on its website, claims to 'empower young people in rural areas'.

These focus on jobs in human rights, climate action and economics. Also on the team is Dr Nick Hollely, who is operations and projects manager.

He is a former consultant who focuses on climate action. 3DCentre also has a steering group, made up of a number of lawyers.

Barrister Samantha Knights QC is one of them and has posted a number of left wing tweets in the past. She has railed against Priti Patel and the Home Office over the government's immigration policy.

Advertisement

This week saw the launch of his first 'Generation on Trial', make believe court cases for politicians accused of crimes of 'messing up the world' for their generation.

It was claimed that Mr Stafford Smith's initiative only targets figures on the right of the political spectrum, with others who face fictional prosecution expected to include Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Jeff Bezos.

Education experts slammed the events, saying they lack impartiality and risk 'brainwashing' schoolchildren.

However, Mr Stafford Smith told MailOnline: 'The students are the ones who choose who they want to 'prosecute'. 

'In terms of those who are the focus of the students' challenges, they run the gamut. 

Indeed, Tony Blair, who took the country into the Iraq War, and Nick Clegg, who broke his promise to young people with respect to student loans, might be surprised to be listed as members of the 'all-right-wing' clique who are allegedly the subjects of this.'

He added that he hoped the process helped under-pressure teachers and intends to continue to offer the opportunity to those who want to take part. 

Forty pupils aged between 12 and 18 were involved in the case, taking on the roles of lawyers while others were split into three juries.

The three child juries found Mr Drax guilty, although they dismissed a second count that he 'had acted like his ancestors while performing his role as MP'.

Mr Drax, whose family established a sugar plantation in Barbados in the 1620s, declined an invitation to turn up to give a defence.

Instead an actor was drafted in to play the role of Mr Drax at the trial held at Bridport Town Hall in Dorset.

Chris McGovern, a retired head teacher and chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: 'I do not think school children should be putting anyone on trial.

'This is an example of out of control brainwashing and it should not be allowed as schools are duty bound to be impartial, not have an agenda.

'There is room for a balanced debate based on knowledge but this is a type of fanaticism.'

They tried to pin slavery 'charges' against the former British Army officer (pictured, an actor playing him in the dock) over his relatives' role in the trade hundreds of years ago

They tried to pin slavery 'charges' against the former British Army officer (pictured, an actor playing him in the dock) over his relatives' role in the trade hundreds of years ago

The fake prosecutor accused the MP for Dorset (pictured, the actual politician on another occasion) of 'benefitting from the proceeds of slavery'

The fake prosecutor accused the MP for Dorset (pictured, the actual politician on another occasion) of 'benefitting from the proceeds of slavery'

An actor (pictured) was drafted in to play the role of Mr Drax at the trial held at Bridport Town Hall in Dorset

An actor (pictured) was drafted in to play the role of Mr Drax at the trial held at Bridport Town Hall in Dorset

Clive Stafford Smith: Lawyer who fought against the death penalty in the US

Clive Stafford Smith is a human rights lawyer who is best known for his work trying to abolish the death penalty in the US.

Not all of his campaigns have been successful.

He said in his book: 'Over the years, I have watched six of my clients die: two in the electric chair, two in the gas chamber and two on the lethal injection gurney...

'If I am forced to choose, I would probably say I hate the electric chair the most.'

He defended terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay.

He has represented more than 80 of them since 2002 but 40 are still locked up there.

Stafford Smith was born in Cambridge and went to the prestigious Old Buckenham Hall School and Radley College before

read more from dailymail.....

PREV Moment Good Samaritan confronts 'bully' seen shouting at 'homeless man' and ... trends now
NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen