Programme Detail
Rule of Law Symposium
Committee(s)
Institutes and TrustsLegal Practice Division (LPD)
Public and Professional Interest Division (PPID)
Regional Fora
Description
Following the immensely successful Symposia in Chicago in September 2006 and Singapore in October 2007, the final day of the Conference in Buenos Aires will again be devoted to the Rule of Law, with emphasis on social, cultural and economic development in Latin America.In the morning, a number of distinguished speakers will discuss the Rule of Law in the South American context, in each case supported by a panel which will lead and stimulate question, answer and discussion with the audience.
In the afternoon, small, separate working groups will be established to consider the following topics:
1. Combating Corruption
2. Controlling Abuse of Executive Power
3. The Meaning of the Rule of Law
The first two working groups will consider and develop a list of concrete steps which could or should be taken by the legal profession, either individually or collectively, to achieve the relevant objective and thereby to contribute to building the Rule of Law. The third will consider and criticise a Discussion Paper prepared to reflect the Association's views on the Rule of Law and to build on the Council's Resolution passed in Prague in September 2005.
Those who pay the Conference registration fee will be entitled to attend the Symposium without additional charge, but are asked to register separately for the Symposium by ticking the relevant boxes on the registration form. This is necessary in order to facilitate planning, in particular the number and composition of the working groups in the afternoon session.
The Symposium is also open to IBA members who do not register for the Conference and, by invitation, to non-members. They will be asked to register as above, no later than 1700 on 16 October 2008, and to pay a fee of £60 as a contribution to the cost of the Symposium. Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided.
Please contact Ronnie Hart (ronnie.hart@int-bar.org) if you would like to register for the symposium only.
Written materials for the working groups will be distributed by e-mail to those already registered approximately two weeks before the Conference and will also be available on the IBA website and at the registration desk during the Conference.
Keynote Speaker
Julio Maria Sanguinetti
President of Uruguay 1985-1990 and 1995-2000
Lawyer, journalist and politician, first elected as a member of the national parliament in 1963, he was Minister for Industry and Commerce from 1969 to 1971 and Minister for Education and Culture from 1972 to 1973. Banned from political activity during the period of military rule in the 1970s, he had a major role in the negotiations leading to the peaceful return to democracy and was then elected President for a five-year term starting in 1985. He was elected for another five-year term in 1995.
THE RULE OF LAW SYMPOSIUM
The Symposium is organised by the President's Rule of Law Taskforce, formed in answer to the call at the end of the IBA Council's Resolution passed in Prague in September 2005:
'The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, deplores the increasing erosion around the world of the Rule of Law. The IBA welcomes recent decisions of courts in some countries that reiterate the principles underlying the Rule of Law. These decisions reflect the fundamental role of an independent judiciary and legal profession in upholding these principles. The IBA also welcomes and supports the efforts of its member Bar Associations to draw attention and seek adherence to these principles.
An independent, impartial judiciary; the presumption of innocence; the right to a fair and public trial without undue delay; a rational and proportionate approach to punishment; a strong and independent legal profession; strict protection of confidential communications between lawyer and client; equality of all before the law; these are all fundamental principles of the Rule of Law. Accordingly, arbitrary arrests; secret trials; indefinite detention without trial; cruel or degrading treatment or punishment; intimidation or corruption in the electoral process, are all unacceptable.
The Rule of Law is the foundation of a civilised society. It establishes a transparent process accessible and equal to all. It ensures adherence to principles that both liberate and protect. The IBA calls upon all countries to respect these fundamental principles. It also calls upon its members to speak out in support of the Rule of Law within their respective communities.'
Speakers
| Speaker | Leandro Despouy |
|---|---|
| Law Firm | Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |
| Location | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Speaker | Yon Goicoechea |
|---|---|
| Law Firm | Fundación Futuro Presente |
| Location | Municipio Baruta, Venezuela |
| Speaker | Freddy Guevara-Cortez |
|---|---|
| Law Firm | La Universidad Católica Andrés Bello |
| Location | Caracas, Venezuela |
| Speaker | Justice Albie Sachs |
|---|---|
| Law Firm | Constitutional Court of South Africa |
| Location | Braamfontein , South Africa |