Sponsored by Rowntrees, openDemocracy, Liberty and the Guardian, this event has been described as  a convention is for anyone concerned with attacks on UK citizens  civil liberties. Organisers are hoping that this  sell-out event will act as a ‘wake-up call' to the public.

Over a hundred speakers have been confirmed including: Tory MP and former shadow home secretary, David Davis MP, shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve, Helena Kennedy QC, Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty and Sir Geoffrey Bindman. The only aspect of the conference where ethnic minority concerns are touched upon is The Open Session  where delegates will hear from Jerome Phelps of London Detainee Support Group and Matilda MacAttram of Black Mental Health UK.

Two plenary sessions have been organised for the London event followed by workshops discussion a range of topics from the police to democracy.

The introduction of ID cards and proposals for the introduction of new databases to record individuals information will be the subject of the first plenary.

The afternoon's plenary will look at how civil rights and freedoms can be maintained in today's society.

‘Disenchantment with politics is growing and even legitimate protest is threatened by an unprecedented programme of challenges to our rights, freedoms and democracy. Sixty years ago Britain was a proud co-author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Now it is increasingly centralised,' convention organisers say.  

Public needs to wake up to civil liberties threats
The Government's plans to extend detention without charge in terrorism cases to 42 days, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), which gives hundreds of agencies access to people's records without their knowing, is another. The collection of all available records on a huge central database are symbols of the damage done to our hard won freedoms and rights', organisers added.
They believe that such threats can be overcome but only if the public is woken to the dangers.
Speaking at the Open Session, Matilda MacAttram will  inform delegates about how the civil liberties of those detained under the Mental Health Act are often compromised

An issue hardly touched on in the human rights and civil liberties debate, race equality groups are keen to see the treatment of black mental health service users and their families taken up by a mainstream campaigns groups.  

The David Bennett Inquiry report brought to light the institutional racism within mental health services and the often damaging treatment of black patients often receive as a result of it.

One of the most marginalised groups within society, their treatment and the erosion of many aspects of their human rights will be the subject of MacAttram's talk during the Open Session.

‘We welcome the opportunity to see the treatment of African Caribbean's who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act included in the Modern Liberties Convention.  It is those who are deemed to lack capacity that are routinely denied even the most basic human rights.

There are a catalogue of concerns that come under the human rights and civil liberties remit  for this group,  from deaths in custody and over medication to the inappropriate use of control and restraint  and the use of seclusion,' MacAttram said.

Human rights concerns over new community treatment orders
The introduction of new Community Treatment Orders within the 2007 Mental Health Act means health professionals now have significant new power over people discharged from hospital.

Former shadow health minister, Tim Lawton slammed CTO's as psychiatric asbo's, which will make thousands of people prisoners in their own homes. Health experts working in the community fear that in a risk-adverse climate the danger that clinicians will use the powers too readily present the very real risk of sweeping people into compulsion and restriction when it is neither useful nor appropriate.    

While this new law is now over five months old, there are many who are not aware of the changes or what the consequences will be for their lives.

Although the London event does not have any tickets left, parallel Conventions are taking place across the UK in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow. Some spaces are still available at these venues.

They will take the plenary debates and keynote speeches live from London via webcasts and host their own discussions. The whole London event can also be viewed live via a webcast on the Convention for Modern Liberties website.