World Bar Conference
Wednesday 15th May, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Evening Welcome Reception
The Bar of Northern Ireland, Belfast
Dress Code: Business Attire / Business Casual
Delegates will be welcomed at the Royal Courts of Justice for a commencement reception. Our guest speaker, Naomi Long MLA is the Minister for Justice in the newly formed Northern Ireland Executive.
Opening Address from
Naomi Long MLA
Minister for Justice, Northern Ireland Executive
Thursday 16th May, 8.30am - 4.30pm
Belfast Conference Sessions
Titanic Hotel, Belfast
Dress Code: Business Attire / Business Casual
9:00am - 9.15am: Official Welcome
The Rt. Hon. Dame Siobhan Keegan
Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
Welcome Address:
9.15am - 10.50am: Navigating the Crossroads: Cancel Culture, Free Speech and the Right to Offend
How can legal systems navigate conflicts between communication norms, cultural diversity, and human rights in the digital age?
Panel Chair:
Moira Smyth KC
Keynote Speakers:
The Hon Mr. Justice David Scoffield
High Court Judge, Northern Ireland
Joanna Cherry KC MP
Member of Parliament, Edinburgh South-west
Attorney General Panel:
Lord Keith Stewart of Dirleton KC
Advocate General, Scotland
Rossa Fanning SC
Attorney General, Ireland
10.50am - 11.30am: Tea / Coffee Break
11.30am - 1.00pm: Rule of Law Under Fire: Existing in an Age of Conflict
When statehood collapses, how do we respond and hold those responsible to account?
Panel Chair:
Peter Coll KC
The Bar of Northern Ireland
Keynote Speakers:
Yurii Bielousov
Head of the War Crimes Department at the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine
The Rt. Hon. Victoria Prentis KC MP
Attorney General for England & Wales
Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC Hon
Professor of Law, School of Law, Queens University Belfast
Session Panel Members:
Roddy Dunlop KC
Dean, Faculty of Advocates, Scotland
Peter Dunning KC
President of the Australian Bar Association
1.00pm - 2.15pm: Lunch
2:15pm - 4.00pm: AI Unleashed: Tomorrow's Legal Landscape and the New Normal?
How can the law keep pace with technological innovation and application? And to what extent will the integrity of our legal systems be strengthened or weakened by their adoption?
Panel Chair:
Donal Lunny KC
The Bar of Northern Ireland
Keynote Speakers:
Professor Michael Katell
Fellow in Responsible Research & Innovation, Alan Turing Institute
Emma Wright
Technology and Data Lawyer, Partner at Harbottle & Lewis
Uwais Iqbal
Founder, Simplexico
Session Panel Members:
Felix Geiringer
New Zealand Bar Association
Victor Dawes SC
Chairman, Hong Kong Bar Association
Thursday 16th May, 8.00pm
Traditional Irish Night & Drinks Reception
The Sheds, Distillery Building, Dublin
(Transport provided to Dublin)
Sample our all-island hospitality with an experience of music, food and speciality drinks.
Friday 17th May, 8.30am-4.15pm
Dublin Conference Sessions
Dublin Castle
Dress Code: Business Attire / Business Casual
9.15am - 9.30am: Official Welcome
The Hon. Mr. Justice Donal O'Donnell
Chief Justice of Ireland
Welcome Address:
9.30am - 11.00am: Law in the Era of the Climate Crisis: Unearthing the Legal Challenges
Sharing global insights on how we balance the rights and interests of the many amidst the urgency can help shape the response of our legal systems.
Panel Chair:
Sara Phelan SC
Chair, The Bar of Ireland
Keynote Speakers:
Sarah Mead
Co-Director, Climate Litigation Network, Urgenda
Catherine Higham
Policy Fellow LSE Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Session Panel Members:
Andrea Gabriel SC
Society of Advocates of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Samuel Townend KC
Chair of The Bar of England and Wales
Dr Andrew Butler KC
New Zealand Bar Association
11.00am - 11.30am: Tea / Coffee Break
11.30am - 1.00pm: Humanity on the Move: Legal Frontiers in Migration and Human Rights
Are our international courts and bodies up to the mark? What reforms should now be considered?
Panel Chair:
Sara Moorhead SC
The Bar of Ireland
Keynote Speakers:
Gillian Triggs
Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Office of the UNHCR
The Rt. Hon. Lord Ben Stephens
Justice of the Supreme Court, United Kingdom
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Session Panel Members:
Aidan Sands KC
The Bar of Northern Ireland
Dominique Hogan-Doran SC
Australian Bar Association
1.00pm - 2.15pm: Lunch
2.15pm - 4.00pm: An Independent Bar and an Independent Judiciary: Perspectives from Judges in ICAB Jurisdictions
A roundtable discussion featuring Chief Justices from a number of jurisdictions on the nature of their roles and work, and how an independent Bar can contribute to facing contemporary issues.
Panel Chair:
The Hon. Mr. Justice David Barniville
President of the High Court of Ireland
Panel of Judges:
The Hon. Justice Mark Livesey
President of the Court of Appeal of South Australia
The Hon. Dame Susan Glazebrook
Supreme Court of New Zealand / Te Kōti Mana Nui
The Rt. Hon. Dame Siobhan Keegan
Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
The Honourable Raymond Zondo
Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa
The Rt. Hon. Lord Carloway
Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General of Scotland
The Hon. Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne
Supreme Court of Ireland
The Rt. Hon, The Baroness Sue Carr
Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales
Friday 17th May, 7.00pm
Gala Dinner
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Dress Code: Black Tie
To conclude the conference, we are delighted to announce that Helen McEntee TD, the Minister for Justice at the Government of Ireland will deliver an address to delegates.
Closing Address:
Helen McEntee TD
Minister for Justice, Government of Ireland
REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE
Join our waitlist below and be contacted when a ticket becomes available.
Limited day tickets are now on sale for the Dublin Castle sessions on 17th May. Learn more.
For conference queries, please contact events@lawlibrary.ie.
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