Free Speech and the Digital Challenge Around the Globe: A Conversation with Mark Stephens
Mark Stephens is the head of the International and Media department at the London-based law firm Finers Stephens Innocent. Described by The Times of London as “one of the best advocates for freedom of expression,” Stephens has appeared in many high profile cases in the United Kingdom, including extradition proceedings involving Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.
Stephens specializes in defending free speech and freedom of information, and has advised a wide variety of media outlets around the world. He has litigated cases in many countries including the United States, Iraq, Singapore, and Russia. Stephens has said that of all his cases, he remains proudest of his successful defense of Washington Postcorrespondent Jonathan Randal, who had been ordered to testify before the Hague War Crimes Tribunal concerning atrocities he observed while covering the Yugoslav War in the 1990s. Stephens successfully argued that “Compelling journalists to give evidence at war crimes trials puts their lives at risk because they become automatic targets.”
Stephens is a Trustee of Index on Censorship, and Chair of International Board of the Media Legal Defence Initiative. In June 2011, Stephens was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service to the legal profession and the arts.
For more about this event, click on any of the following links:
Video of the 26th Annual Silha Lecture with Mark Stephens
Coffman Union Theater