Tag Archives: parthenon

The passing of Norman Palmer QC CBE

Posted on: October 11, 2016 by Alexander Herman

Last week, Professor Norman Palmer QC CBE passed away. He was the Academic Principal of the Institute of Art & Law, having served as its guiding light for over twenty years. It was because of him – his tireless commitment to teaching new generations of students, his profound understanding of the law of cultural property […]

European Court rejects Elgin Marbles claim

Posted on: August 1, 2016 by Alexander Herman

We had earlier this year reported on a claim lodged at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg by an independent Athenian association seeking the return of the Parthenon Marbles. The claim of the Syllogos Ton Athinaion (or ‘Athenians’ Association’) has been rejected by the Court on admissibility grounds. In a short ruling dated 23 June 2016 […]

Bill in UK Parliament to return Elgin Marbles

Posted on: July 15, 2016 by Alexander Herman

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The title of this post is correct. There is currently a Bill before the UK Parliament to return the Elgin Marbles (aka the Parthenon Marbles) to Greece. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on Monday, 11th July, and is scheduled for a second reading on […]

Athenian group brings human rights claim for return of Parthenon Sculptures

Posted on: February 22, 2016 by Alexander Herman

Following the rejection of UNESCO’s mediation proposal by the UK government and the British Museum in March 2015, a Greek entity called the ‘Athenians’ Association’ has decided to bring an action seeking the return of the Parthenon Sculptures (or Elgin Marbles) before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg. According to last week’s press statement, the claim […]

Criticism mounts ahead of BM show on Aboriginal art

Posted on: April 20, 2015 by Alexander Herman

Having highlighted the issue in an earlier post, the criticism of the upcoming British Museum exhibition, Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilization (a purposely ambiguous title?) has become more vociferous with a cutting article published recently in The Guardian provocatively entitled ‘Preservation or plunder? The battle over the British Museum’s Indigenous Australian show’. Past events involving the Dja Dja Wurrung bark etchings are […]

UK and British Museum reject Marbles mediation request

Posted on: March 30, 2015 by Alexander Herman

With an end of March deadline looming, the UK government and the British Museum have at last responded to UNESCO’s request to enter into mediation with Greece regarding the future treatment of the Elgin (or Parthenon) Marbles. The request was made on 9 August 2013 at the behest of Greece (both the UK and Greece are members […]

UK Parliamentary motion for the Marbles’ return

Posted on: March 10, 2015 by Alexander Herman

Yesterday, an ‘early day motion‘ was presented before the UK Parliament by MP Andrew George calling on Britain to engage in a ‘gracious act’ and reunite the sculptures at the British Museum (aka the Elgin Marbles) with those kept in Athens’s purpose-built Acropolis Museum, ‘in the shadow of the monument to which they belong’. More specifically, the motion calls […]

Greek elections… and the Marbles

Posted on: January 28, 2015 by Alexander Herman

All eyes in Europe were turned towards Greece this past Sunday as the general election resulted in a victory for the Coalition of the Radical Left (SIRIZA) led by the young Alexis Tsipras. Following a surprising union with a right-wing anti-austerity party, ANEL, the coalition now has a majority in the legislature and Tsipras has become Prime Minister. His cabinet was sworn in yesterday. As […]

MacGregor on the Elgin Marbles

Posted on: November 11, 2014 by Alexander Herman

Much has been said in the media of late about the Greek claim to the Elgin Marbles. But last week came a response from the director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor. It was written up in The Times on Friday 7 November, but is sadly unavailable online to non-subsribers. In response to the claims made […]

Gough Whitlam on the Marbles

Posted on: October 29, 2014 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper

Former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam passed away last week at the age of 98. He had served as Prime Minister between 1972 to 1975, during a turbulent period of Australia’s history. He had also spoken at an Institute of Art and Law event in 2001 on the topic of the Parthenon (or Elgin) Marbles. He was […]