Next year will see the return of the biennial Commonwealth Law Conference to Scotland for the first time in almost four decades. Glasgow will be playing host to around 1,000 lawyers from Commonwealth countries across the globe at the four-day event which opens on 12 April 2015, in the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a potent symbol of the rule of law across the Commonwealth.
Alistair Morris, vice president of the Law Society of Scotland, (pictured) said: “The conference is one of the most prestigious in the international legal calendar and was last hosted in Scotland in Edinburgh in 1977. There has been huge change since then – not least the creation of the Scottish Parliament – and of course we are in the midst of debate in the run up to the independence referendum just five months from now. We are therefore delighted to have this terrific opportunity to showcase the quality of the legal profession in Scotland to our Commonwealth colleagues and demonstrate how our modern and flexible devolved legislature seeks to address the social, economic and legal challenges of our time.
“We had a great deal of support from the wider legal profession in Scotland in putting together our winning bid to host the conference, including the Faculty of Advocates, the judiciary, the Scottish Human Rights Commission and Scottish Law Commission, and we are thrilled that Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, will have the opportunity to welcome so many of our colleagues from around the world.
“Preparations are well underway for delivering a full and varied conference programme that will be engaging and thought provoking. The conference, Resources, Responsibilities and the Rule of Law, will examine issues such as the role of the legal profession in delivering economic and social sustainability, the tension between corporate responsibility and legal risk management and the business case for corporate responsibility.”
Mark Stephens CBE, President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, commented: “The Commonwealth Lawyers Association is excited to be holding the 19th biennial conference in the historic city of Glasgow. It is a truly unique event which attracts delegates from most of the 52 Commonwealth states.
“The theme of the 2015 conference will reflect the issues surrounding our globalised world and the challenges or opportunities this presents for lawyers, with particular emphasis on commerce and the rule of law and I would encourage all our members, members of the profession and anyone with an interest in the rule of law to attend the 19th Commonwealth Law Conference 2015.”