LECTURES & SOCIAL EVENTS
Lectures and social events are held from October to June. The programme is varied and most meetings have an appeal for several specialities, and may be of sufficiently broad interest to attract non-medically qualified partners and friends. The Institution is able to attract speakers of international renown. The programme includes endowed eponymous lectures and some joint meetings with specialist societies.
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Details of the Retired Members' Group meetings can be found lower down the page.
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Programme: 185th Session, 2024-2025
President - Dr Caroline Jones
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The format for each evening is refreshments for members from 6.30pm, followed by a lecture at 7pm. If you are an LMI member, please email admin@lmi.org.uk or call (0151) 709 9125 to book your place; non-members can book using the Eventbrite links below. Everyone is welcome. There is no charge for these events.
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Further dates and details for lectures taking place from January 2025 onwards as will be added in due course.
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Wednesday 9th October 2024: Dr Caroline Jones - Inaugural Address
Title: A fortunate woman - the story of a portfolio GP
​Biography: Dr Caroline M Jones MBChB, FFLM, MRCGP, DMJ is a forensic physician with over 20 years’ experience in sexual offences medicine and caring for victims of sexual assault and abuse.
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Studied medicine at the University of Glasgow from 1969-1976.
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General practice principal from 1981 until 2012.
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Psychosexual therapist from 1992, accredited by the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapy as therapist and supervisor of therapists, until retirement in 2013. This work involved assessment and treatment of sexual difficulties as well as couple therapy.
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Forensic physician from 1995 until 2022, both in custody and sexual offences medicine until 2008. After helping to establish the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Safe Place Merseyside, in 2008, concentrated on working with child and adult complainants of sexual assault and abuse.
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Named Doctor for Safeguarding for Wirral.
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Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Lancashire Postgraduate School of Medicine and Health, University of Central Lancashire, focusing on forensic and psychosexual topics and led a postgraduate course in sexual crime between 2002 and 2007.
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Chief Examiner for Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine from 2018 to 2021.
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Expert Witness in Criminal and Family Court from 1999 until 2023.
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Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine.
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Holds the Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate.
Eventbrite booking link: here
Thursday 24th October 2024: Dr Bernadette Butler
Title: Whither Forensic Medicine in the 21st century and why should it matter?
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Biography: Dr Butler qualified from St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, University of London, in 1978. She worked in Obstetrics & Gynaecology until 2000 when she joined the Havens, a group of three specialist centres run by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for victims of rape and sexual assault. Professor Butler still works at the Havens as a forensic physician and as the clinical education and training lead. She is President of Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine.
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Eventbrite booking link for non-members: here
Wednesday 6th November 2024: Michelle Stoops
Title: Working with Sex Workers
Biography: Shelly studied Social Science, Race and Equality Studies at University. During this time, she initially worked as a volunteer at a domestic violence project in Merseyside and went on to be a full-time worker. She volunteered at a sex work support project in Liverpool between doing sessional outreach and supporting the sex worker drop-in, alongside this she studied for a post-grad in Gendered Criminology, Rights, and Justice.
She joined the NHS in 2005 as an outreach worker for street sex workers. In 2006, Shelly secured Home Office funding for a specialist post to support sex workers who had been victims of rape and sexual assault, she became the first Specialist Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (SWISVA) in the UK (or in the world) to work exclusively with sex workers, a project that went on to receive critical acclaim both nationally and internationally and is known as the ‘Merseyside Model’. This changed the way sex workers are viewed and policed strategically in the UK and has had some international impact too.
She became a Crisis Worker in 2008 when Merseyside opened SAFE Place, its adult SARC. She was then promoted and became its Operational Manager. She continues to do crisis work at the SARC. Shelly worked on many strategic projects alongside the Clinical Lead, Dr Caroline Jones and SAFE Place was part of a multi sited project to find the best service for rape victims in Europe. SAFE Place was ultimately voted as the best service.
Shelly sat on the planning group for the National Rape Action Plan for the UK alongside the DPP giving her expertise on victim care to ensure that the policy was trauma informed and victim centred.
She carried out the Home Office funded UKNSWP (UK Network of Sex Work Projects) consultation project around setting up a National ‘Ugly Mugs’ Scheme which she and Dr Rosie Campbell OBE wrote up and published in Summer 2011 and presented to The Rt Honourable Teresa May. This meeting secured the implementation of National Ugly Mugs.
She was a director of National Ugly Mugs and a board member of UK NSWP, sat on the National Police Prostitution Working Group at the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC formerly ACPO) and is involved in several local and regional forums relating to domestic and sexual violence, sex work and CSE. Shelly is a passionate advocate of decriminalisation for sex work/ers. She has been involved with sex workers and fighting for their rights since the late 1990s.
Since 2021, Shelly has been a lecturer in Policing, Law Enforcement and Investigation studies at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). She teaches across a range of Policing programmes as well as Criminology and Psychology. Her specialist areas of interest are sex work and particularly violence against sex workers, domestic and sexual violence and CSE. Shelley is an experienced trainer in these fields and has presented papers at conferences nationally and internationally about these subjects. She has also published several journal articles and books. She has won many awards for her commitment to rape victims and sex workers.
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Eventbrite booking link for non-members: here
Thursday 28th November 2024: Dame Vera Baird, DBE KC
​Title: Rape and the Broken Path to Justice
​Biography: Dame Vera Baird is a writer, lecturer and parliamentary consultant. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to women and equality.
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Visiting Professor in Practice at the Mannheim Centre, London School of Economics
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Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College Oxford
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Hon Professor of Law at Exeter and Newcastle Universities
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Hon Doctorates at Northumbria and Loughborough Universities
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Former Victims Commissioner for England and Wales (2019-22)
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DBE for Services to Women and Equalities 2017
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Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria (2012-19)
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Chair of Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 2016
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Association of PCCs’ National lead for Supporting Victims (2012-19)
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Solicitor General for England and Wales (2007-2010)
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Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (2006-7)
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Member of Parliament for Redcar 2001-2010
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Former Practising Criminal Barrister and QC
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Author of many articles, chapters & reports, most recently The Baird Review into Greater Manchester Police.
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Patron of Respect and Board Member of Revolving Doors
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Eventbrite booking link for non-members: here
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Tuesday 3rd December 2024: Mr John Malits
​Title: The story behind the world's first heart transplant
Biography: After 34 years as a lawyer then six as a professional photographer, Jon established himself as a cruise ship speaker giving talks on photography, destinations and other subjects of interest to passengers. One such subject was the story of the world’s first heart transplant, undertaken by Dr Christiaan Barnard, which took place in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa. Jon looks at the life of Dr Barnard and examines the steps he took to put himself into the position of being able to carry out the operation. There were issues of organ rejection, ethics and morals, and even medical espionage. After the operation, how did Dr Barnard cope with the subsequent fame both professionally and personally?
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Eventbrite booking link: here
Wednesday 11th December: Professor Catherine White
Title: Addressing the Issue of Strangulation
Biography: Professor White is a forensic physician and the Medical Director for IFAS (Institute for Addressing Strangulation). She was Clinical Director of St Mary’s SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre), Manchester, until 2022 and Deputy Chief Examiner for the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine, 2013-2015. Professor White’s research was used as evidence to change the law regarding strangulation. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The Queen’s 2014 New Year’s Honours List for services to vulnerable people.
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Eventbrite booking link for non-members: here
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Retired Members' Group Meetings
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Talk: 12 noon
Lunch: 1pm (optional)
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The meetings are open to all members of LMI, plus guests. A Delifonseca lunch of sandwiches, savoury snacks and tea & coffee will be available following the talk at approximately 1pm. The cost for this will be £15 per person and payment should be made on the day by cash or card. You are welcome to attend the free talk. Please email admin@lmi.org.uk to book, or phone 0151 709 9125, stating whether you would like to stay for lunch.
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Tuesday 22nd October 2024
Dr Uli Pfeiffer - Oktoberfest.
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Tuesday 10th December 2024
Dr Helen Jermak - Exploring fireworks in the Universe with robotic telescopes.
March 2025 - date to be confirmed
Dr C C Evans - Swan song.
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