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Rule of Law Action Group
Friday 9 October
Following the immensely successful Symposia in Chicago in September 2006, Singapore in October 2007 and Buenos Aires in October 2008, the final morning of the Conference in Madrid will again be devoted to the Rule of Law.
In the morning, there will be two principal speakers - Lord Bingham of Cornhill and Judge Baltasar Garzon. They will be supported by a panel which will lead and stimulate questions, answers and general discussion with the audience.
You can register to attend just the Rule of Law Symposium for 40 Euros. To register for the Symposium only, CLICK HERE
1000 – 1300
Auditorium, Lower Level -4
Speakers
| Lord Bingham of Cornhill has been described by the London Times as ‘the pre-eminent lawyer of his generation, with a brilliant, incisive mind.’ He retired in July 2008 as the Senior Law Lord, the highest judicial position in the United Kingdom, having previously served successively in the two other most senior judicial offices, Master of the Rolls and Lord Chief Justice. In 2006 he delivered at the University of Cambridge a penetrating lecture entitled ‘The Rule of Law’, which he has now expanded into a book with the same title, due to be published in early 2010. He is Chairman of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, to which he delivered a lecture in November 2008 in which he questioned the legality of the invasion of Iraq. | Judge Baltasar Garzón is perhaps Spain's most widely known and controversial investigating judge. Based in Madrid, he is one of six investigating judges for Spain's National Court. He had long been active in combating human rights abuses in Spain before he came to international prominence in the late 1990s when he sought the extradition of the former President of Chile, Augusto Pinochet, from England to Spain. Unusually, he publicly declared his opposition to the invasion of Iraq and more recently suggested that the liability of those who advised on the legality of water-boarding and other ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ should be investigated |
Delegates requiring simultaneous translation will be asked to provide formal identification (ie passport, driving licence) at the entrance to the Auditorium, on Lower Level -4 in exchange for which a headset will be provided.
Open meeting of the Rule of Law Action Group
In the afternoon, an open meeting of the Rule of Law Action Group will be held, to which all interested persons are welcome.The meeting will review the work of the Association to date in promoting the Rule of Law, and discuss what steps can be taken in the future to improve its contribution.
1430 – 1630
| THE RULE OF LAW SYMPOSIUM |
.gif) The Symposium and open meeting is organised by the Rule of Law Action Group, 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 ensure 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.’ |