Legal options for Parthenon Sculptures issue raised in Sydney event

The Parthenon Sculptures contented took centre stage successful Sydney arsenic the ineligible implications were raised, addressing imaginable courses of enactment that could beryllium taken to assistance successful their instrumentality to Greece.

The lawsuit titled ”The Parthenon Marbles Debate: History, Justice, and Reunification’ was held connected 31 March astatine the Greek Community Club successful Lakemba, organised arsenic portion of the Greek Festival of Sydney by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW, successful collaboration with the Hellenic Society of University of NSW (Hellsoc UNSW).

The treatment featured David Hill, erstwhile Executive Director of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, and George Vardas, Secretary of the Australian Hellenic Council (NSW) and Co-Vice President of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Parthenon Sculptures contented takes centre stage successful Sydney. Photo: Dimitri Kallos

Collectively, they discussed the inheritance of the issue, the ineligible complications and imaginable solutions successful ensuring their instrumentality to Greece.

Vardas spoke connected the ineligible perspective, noting the British Museum would request a way to prevention look successful the lawsuit of the Sculptures’ return.

“They are looking astatine some statement where, whether you use the word ‘loan’, ‘deposit’ oregon ‘transfer’, that they tin accidental they are acting successful the champion interests of the Museum and we tin amusement we are successful taste practice with the Greeks,” Vardas said successful his speech.

George Vardas during his talk. Photo: Dimitri Kallos

He added different thought would beryllium to turn the Acropolis Museum into an authorised repository under the British Museum, meaning they could beryllium sent to Greece and would not beryllium a lending but alternatively a transfer from 1 British Museum installation to another.

Speaking connected the anticipation a woody cannot beryllium struck, Vardas pointed backmost to the ineligible proposal projected by Geoffrey Robertson, Amal Clooney and Normal Palmer that would enlist the International Court of Justice to springiness an ‘advisory opinion’.

Over 100 attendees, young and old, were contiguous to perceive astir the Parthenon Sculptures. Photo: Dimitri Kallos

“That entails the UNESCO oregon the United Nations General Assembly submitting a solution to the International Court of Justice with a question. That question could easy beryllium connected the question of the instrumentality of important taste items that person been removed from their spot of origin.”

He claimed that they would beryllium capable to airs a ineligible question relating to the information nations should beryllium capable to assertion important taste spot nonaccomplishment during periods of concern oregon colonialism (the Sculptures were removed from Greece during the Ottoman occupation).

David Hill spoke comprehensively connected the inheritance of the Parthenon Sculptures. Photo: Dimitri Kallos

“The bully quality is immoderate country/member state of the United Nations tin marque submissions. That is where diplomacy comes in. The Greek authorities and its supporters astir the world enlist their respective countries to marque submissions to the International Court of Justice,” Vardas said.

“There is simply a increasing content that customary planetary instrumentality has evolved to a constituent where we would get a favourable opinion. That is the essence of the Robertson attack and I think there is simply a batch of merit to that.”

GOC NSW President Con Apoifis (right) expressed thanks to the speakers and the galore guests who attended the event. Photo: Dimitri Kallos

David Hill, who has been progressive successful the contented for aggregate decades now, admitted helium is acold much assured present of a solution than helium has been for galore years.

“There person been a fig of truly promising signs of advancement successful the past fewer years, which has fixed maine acold much optimism than I had previously,” helium said during his closing remarks, adding:

“There are not galore chances successful beingness to close history’s wrongs but successful this case, we person a chance.”

The event, which was opened and closed with greetings and thanks by GOC NSW President Con Apoifis and moderated by Hellsoc President Dimitra Mavrocordatos, then closed with a Q&A league earlier the implicit 100 attendees shared airy refreshments.

Photo: Dimitri Kallos