POSTPONED: Rule of Law & Access to Justice: where do we go from here? – Pro Bono Week Committee & LexisNexis

POSTPONED: This event has been postponed, due to ill health on the part of a number of the speakers. To receive details of the event when a new date is confirmed, please follow the PBW Eventbrite profile.

Following on from successful Rule of Law events in Pro Bono Week 2020 and Volunteers Week 2021, our stellar panel returns! Register to attend via the Eventbrite link: https://ruleoflaw2021.eventbrite.co.uk

Timing:

Online attendees: start 5.30pm, finish 7pm.

In person attendees: arrive from 5pm, panel starts 5.30pm, drinks & nibbles from 7pm.

Panellists are:

• Iain Anderson (Executive Chairman, Cicero Group)
• I. Stephanie Boyce (President of the Law Society of England & Wales),
• Baroness Hale of Richmond (former President of the UK Supreme Court),
• James Harper (Executive Sponsor Rule of Law, LexisNexis)
• Baroness Helena Kennedy QC (Director of the IBA Human Rights Institute) 

There can be few times in the modern history of the UK where the Rule of Law has remained at the forefront of public attention and discussion for such a sustained period – whether it is governmental “tinkering” with judicial review, the backlog in the court system, to some concerning narrative about lawyers practicing in the immigration and criminal justice systems.

As important as that focus has been, it often leaves a hugely important question unanswered: where do we go from here?

Lawyers almost universally see the Rule of Law as fundamental, but that seems some way off outside of the profession? If we are to protect the Rule of Law (and drive an environment where upholding the Rule of Law is seen as non-negotiable), the public at large need to feel the same way.

Having considered this question previously, the panel will return to give an update on the “state of the union” of the Rule of Law in the UK. From there, we will turn to continue our debate on what can be done to begin to deliver this. Can the law, and justice be rebranded? Can businesses be made to care and champion the Rule of Law? What, or who might get the public to value access to justice?

Read an overview of the November 2020 event here and the June 2021 event here.

You can watch the full panel debate from Volunteers Week 2021 on YouTube (this panel included James Harper (LexisNexis) as a speaker and Catherine Baksi (award-winning journalist) was the chair):

You can watch the full panel debate from Pro Bono Week 2020 on YouTube (this panel included Law Society then-President David Greene, and barrister Matthew Ryder QC (Matrix Chambers). James Harper (LexisNexis) was the chair):