Commonwealth Law Conference to Focus on Legal Challenges

Nigeria's President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

The Commonwealth Law 2005 conference will be held in London, UK, on 11-15 September 2005 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. The event is organised by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) and the Law Society of England and Wales.

Bearing the theme 'Developing Law and Justice', this conference will focus on the issues faced by Commonwealth lawyers such as globalisation and the environment; security and freedom; and access to justice. Discrimination and the protection of the under-privileged, as well as legal issues involved in disaster relief will also be discussed.

Judges, magistrates, public and private sector lawyers, academics, paralegals and executives of the Commonwealth's law associations are expected to attend this conference to examine and discuss vital issues affecting the law and legal profession in the Commonwealth.

Keynote addresses are to be delivered by Nigeria's President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who is Chairperson-in-Office of the Commonwealth; Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Commonwealth Secretary-General and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice of Guyana; as well as Lord Bingham of Cornhill, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and currently senior Law Lord.

CLA President Colin Nicholls, QC, said: "The conference provides an unrivalled opportunity to keep pace with legal developments, to make an effective contribution to the rule of law and to help create an honest and just society."

Several simultaneous workshops will be conducted in conjunction with the conference. The human rights workshop will discuss legal issues arising out of HIV/AIDS and the right to health; discrimination; national human rights institutions and defenders; land rights; asylum refugees and migration; and the Commonwealth's contribution to human rights jurisprudence.

The workshop on corporate and commercial law will focus on corporate responsibilities, which include the duties and rights of international companies in the Commonwealth; and corporate governance and domestic reform in Commonwealth jurisdictions. Participants will also study the law on states and arbitration involving joint ventures and bilateral investment treaties; competition law; and legal and regulatory issues on Islamic banking.

The criminal law workshop will look at the International Criminal Court, war crimes tribunals and the role of domestic courts. Constitutional reform, human trafficking, Islamic justice and issues revolving around law, liberty and terrorism will also be discussed.

The workshop on family law and the child will cover international judicial co-operation in relation to the child; domestic violence; and the trial and treatment of a juvenile offender.

Funding access to justice; best practices on minimising professional liability, legal issues arising out of disasters, liabilities at sporting events, and environmental law will also be discussed under specialist topics.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 251, 7 September 2005

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