By Michael Cross2021-02-11T11:40:00+00:00 Governments should regularly review historical legacies such as statues in public spaces in the light of changing attitudes in society - but beware of knee-jerk decisions to remove contested objects. These are the broad conclusions of a three-year global study carried out by the International Bar Association and published today. The report, The IBA's research draws on 10 case studies of controversies, including that surrounding the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, the Bronze Soldier memorial in Estonia and the Robert E. Lee statue in Virginia. In every case, it states, 'legal frameworks or judicial processes were used to facilitate or complicate the resolution of a contestation'. Heritage protection laws, for example, can serve either either to block or promote removal.