Convenors:
Prof. Peter L. Patrick
Language & Linguistics
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO4 3SQ
Essex, UK
+44 (0) 1206 872088

Prof. Monika Schmid Language & Linguistics University of Essex & University of Groningen
+44 (0) 1206 872089  

Dr. Karin Zwaan
Centre for Migration Law Radboud University Nijmegen P.O. Box 9049
6500KK Nijmegen
the Netherlands
+31 24 361.2934

E-mail: larg@essex.ac.uk

ESRC LADO Network

ESRC logo

The ESRC LADO Network is a network of researchers established through the UK Economic and Social Research Council grant no. RES-451-26-0911 to Prof. Peter L. Patrick of the University of Essex Dept. of Language & Linguistics and Human Rights Centre, in order to conduct a series of Research Seminars. The theme is "Language Analysis of Asylum Applicants: Foundations, Guidelines & Best Practice", and the meetings are being held in 2011-12 at the University of Essex.

The membership of the ESRC LADO Network initially consists of the LARG Convenors and Advisory Panel. The four meetings reach beyond this membership to involve a broad range of academics and practitioners, as well as postgraduate students and young scholars. They will assemble linguists and professionals involved in Language Analysis for Determination of Origins (LADO), as well as participants from legal, government, academic, NGO and other backgrounds engaged in refugee status determination.

ESRC LADO Network Seminar #4:

"Best Practice in LADO: The Way Forward"

Sat 24 November 2012

University of Essex Colchester campus, Square 1, Psychology Building, Room 4.722 (Senate Room)  

Description:

The Language and Asylum Research Group (LARG) is the leading international study group for LADO (Language Analysis for Determination of Origin), comprising a distinguished panel of experts with collective experience of linguistic, bureaucratic, legal, and human rights dimensions of LADO and asylum. Members are based in the UK, Europe, North America & Australasia, and include linguistic experts with first-hand experience in LADO and related areas such as forensic linguistics, senior government staff in immigration and asylum bureaux, legal experts in migration and asylum law, human rights practitioners, representatives of asylum/refugee NGOs, and academics of other disciplines with experience in asylum contexts. 

This event followed three earlier meetings in the Research Seminar series “Language Analysis of Asylum Applicants: Foundations, Guidelines and Best Practice”. The first meeting considered a range of methods for producing speech data for LADO; the second examined the roles of linguists and native speakers in conducting LADO analysis; and the third reviewed standards for expertise and issues in collecting and analysing data from vulnerable speakers in other (forensic and clinical) institutional settings. This meeting was the last of the series.

The convenors of LARG believe that LADO has a contribution to make to good quality decision-making in the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process. However, over the past decade, the validity of LADO reports has often been challenged on a variety of grounds. Issues of quality, expertise and efficiency – as well as the variety of methods, qualifications, procedures and expert knowledge found among those who provide and evaluate LADO reports – have all been perceived to present challenges to the efficient, legally robust, cost-effective and scientifically-sound LADO process desired by all stakeholders. The perception has grown that language analysis may not have the value it was once believed to have as expert evidence.

Recent developments have highlighted the key roles and responsibilities of both experts providing forensic science, such as LADO, and its users, such as immigration and asylum bureaux. To take the Netherlands as an example, the Netherlands Register of Court Experts (NRGD) has advised an approach to quality standards and assessment which recommends that users demand evidence of competence, while experts develop guidelines and best-practice standards; the application of this 'forensic quality circle' to LADO was discussed at the third meeting. Meanwhile, the Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs (ACVZ) has reported on the role of expert advice in the asylum procedure, making recommendations that include LADO, and go beyond improving the quality of expert advice to evaluating and guaranteeing that quality, and formally organizing its place within asylum procedures.

The focus of this meeting was on best practice in LADO. LARG is committed to making a contribution to high-quality LADO, including the development of standards that are legally sound, practicable and in line with state-of-the-art linguistic science. Governmental users of LADO and organizations of experts have not often met together. This meeting was designed to bring users into the process created by LARG, to hear about the needs of users, and to discuss the preliminary results of the first three meetings with parties who can contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of sound policy in this area. We shared advice and experience in order to advance the understanding and institutional recognition of best-practice standards in LADO.

Participants were invited based on their experience and interest in legal, policy and/or expertise aspects of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process. The session included exchanges with and commentary by participating bureaus and experts, followed by discussion considering general issues of quality development and control. Participants included:

  • linguistic experts with first-hand experience in LADO and related areas such as forensic linguistics,
  • senior government staff in immigration and asylum bureaux,
  • asylum and immigration judges,
  • legal experts in migration and asylum law,
  • human rights practitioners, and
  • academics of other disciplines with experience in asylum contexts.

 

Participants

Links to participants' bios in the 'Name' column; to their webpages in the 'Affiliation' column

Name Affiliation Role
Dr. Carol Bohmer Dartmouth and Kings College, LARG Participant
Prof. dr. A.P.A. Broeders University of Leiden Participant
Mr. Joseph Bryce Murray Stable, Edinburgh, Scotland Participant
Mr. William Cotter University of Essex Student Observer/Volunteer
Sarah E. Craig Univ of Glasgow, Law; GRAMnet Participant
Ms. Sophie De Koning University of Essex Student Observer/Volunteer
Jasmina Gustavsen Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) Participant
Alison Harvey General Secretary, Immigration Law Practitioners' Association Participant
Mr. Uri Horesh University of Essex Student Observer/Volunteer
Mr. Noé Kam Makano International Observer
Prof. Benjamin Lawrance Rochester Institute of Technology Participant
Judge Fiona Lindsley Deputy, Upper Tribunal Immigration & Asylum Chamber, UK Participant
Ms. Trish Mistry University of Essex Student Observer/Volunteer
Prof Peter L Patrick University of Essex; LARG Co-convenor
Judge Jonathan Perkins Upper Tribunal Immigration & Asylum Chamber, UK Participant
Prof Monika Schmid Groningen University Participant
Ralph W.J. Severijns, LLM ACVZ (Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs, Netherlands) Participant
Judge Paul Southern Principal Resident Judge, Upper Tribunal Immigration & Asylum Chamber, UK Participant
Mr. Juri Tomilov Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) Participant
Ms. Simina Tulbure University of Essex Student Observer/Volunteer
Mr. Ariel Vazquez-Carranza University of Essex Assistant Organizer
Dr Maaike Verrips De Taalstudio, Director; LARG Participant
Dr Karin Zwaan Radboud University Nijmegen, LARG Participant
Mr. Peter Zweedijk Legal Representation Unit, Netherlands Immigration & Naturalisation Service (IND) Participant

 


Schedule:

  • 0900 Coffee  
    0915 Coffee  
    0930 Welcome & Introduction P Patrick
    0945 Summary LARG-1: Data Elicitation M Verrips
    1000 Summary LARG-2: Native Speakers P Patrick
    1015 Summary LARG-3: Expertise & Standards K Zwaan
    1030 UDI: Value of LADO as Expert Evidence J Gustavsen
    1045 IND: Value of LADO as Expert Evidence P Zweedijk
    1100 Discussion open
    1115 Coffee  
    1130 Coffee  
    1145 LADO in UK asylum appeals J Bryce
    1205 LADO in UK asylum appeals: Responses open
    1215 Panel of UK legal experts P Southern, J Perkins,
    1230 Panel of UK legal experts F Lindsley, A Harvey,
    1300 Panel of UK legal experts S Craig
    1300 Response by NL asylum law expert K Zwaan
    1315 Discussion open
    1330 Lunch  
    1345 Lunch  
    1400 Lunch  
    1415 Lunch  
    1430 Lunch  
    1445 Academic Expertise in Asylum Cases B Lawrance
    1505 Academic Expertise in Asylum Cases: Responses open
    1515 ACVZ proposal for Improving Expert Evidence R Severijns
    1535 ACVZ proposal for Improving Expert Evidence: Responses open
    1545 Expert Quality Assurance APA Broeders
    1600 Expert Quality Assurance: Responses open
    1615 Coffee  
    1630 Coffee  
    1645 General discussion open
    1700 General discussion open
    1715 General discussion open
    1730 Final thoughts  
    1745 Conclusion/Extra time
    1800 Reception  
    1815 Reception  
    1830
    1845
    1930 Dinner in Wivenhoe