Human Rights Law Conference 2013

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Date / time
Date(s) - 24/10/2013
9:30 am - 5:00 pm

Location
Bloomsbury Hotel

Categories


15th annual conference in association with Sweet & Maxwell

Thursday 24 October 2013, 9.30am-5.00pm

Bloomsbury Hotel, 16 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN

6½ hours CPD 

£100 discount for JUSTICE members, see fees information.

‘This is the one event in the year which you should not miss’ Barrister Magazine

The annual JUSTICE Human Rights Law Conference is the acknowledged forum for ensuring delegates are fully up to date with developments.

It covers the key areas of human rights law and provides an update on pertinent legislative and case-law developments across the field, including jurisprudence from domestic and European courts as relevant.

Major areas covered are:

  • The application of human rights law from a judge’s perspective – keynote speech from Mrs Justice (Laura) Cox
  • A human rights review of the year – all major legislative and case-law developments from leading practitioner Helen Mountfield QC
  • Human rights, democracy and judicial independence – an analysis from Professor Robert Hazell of the UCL Constitution Unit, followed by wider discussion with panel of leading politicians

In addition interactive breakout sessions will cover :

  • judicial review
  • criminal law
  • immigration
  • free speech
  • equality
  • Europe

Programme

9.00     Registration

9.30     Welcome from the chair – Andrea Coomber, Director of JUSTICE

9.40     Morning keynote – Mrs Justice Cox

The practical application of human rights law – a judge’s perspective

10.15   Human rights law:  the year in review – Helen Mountfield QC, Matrix Chambers

A leader in the field, takes you through the significant cases of the past 12 months, pulling out key practice points. Followed by Q&A and discussion 

11.00   Coffee break 

11.15   Morning breakout sessions (choose one of three)

  • Criminal law and human rights update – Alex Bailin QC, Matrix Chambers and Kirsty Brimelow QC, Doughty Street Chambers; chair: Jodie Blackstock, JUSTICE
    • Interaction between criminal law, freedom of speech and privacy rights
    • Introduction of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill
    • Key cases from 2012
    • New legislative developments and proposals
  • Equality: balancing rights in practice – Declan O’Dempsey, Cloisters andUlele Burnham, Doughty Street Chambers; chair: Clare Collier, Equality and Human Rights Commission
    • Recent changes in the Employment Tribunal – including the introduction of fees – for discrimination litigation
    •  Impact of recent Strasbourg litigation on
      • the right to respect for religion and belief at work
      • provision of services without discrimination (Ewiede, Ladele & Ors v UK)
  • Immigration, asylum and human rights – Raza Husain QC, Matrix Chambers and Duran Seddon, Garden Court Chambers; chair: Alison Harvey, ILPA
    • Most recent case-law on
      • the application of the right to respect for family life
      • the limits of the immigration rules designed to pre-determine the scope of that right in most cases
    • The implications of the proposed new Immigration Bill
    • Proposals in Transforming Legal Aid which would apply a strict residence test to legal aid applications, limiting access to legal advice for non-residents and both successful and non-successful asylum-seekers

12.45   Lunch

 13.45   Afternoon breakout sessions (choose one of three)

  • Judicial review and human rights update – Stephen Grosz QC, Bindmans and Shaheen Rahman, 1 Crown Office Row; chair: Angela Patrick, JUSTICE
    • Changes restricting access to JR in some cases, including tighter time limits for review and higher hurdles to get a case off the ground
    • Proposals in Transforming Legal Aid to restrict legal aid for JR
    • Key JRs of government action at home and abroad
  • Charter or Convention: what can Europe do for my client? – Jessica Simor QC, Matrix Chambers and Marie Demetriou QC, Brick Court Chambers; chair: Jonathan Cooper OBE, Doughty Street Chambers
    • Update from Strasbourg (ECtHR) and Luxembourg (ECJ) jurisprudence
    • Use of European Convention and EU Charter for running domestic human rights cases
    • Share tactics with leading counsel litigating before both courts
  • Freedom of expression: Leveson and beyond – Mark Warby QC, 5RB and Hugh Tomlinson QC, Matrix Chambers; chair:Joshua Rozenberg, Legal Commentator
    • Legal implications of implementing the Leveson recommendations
    • Specific human rights issues raised by proposed regulation, legislation and Royal Charter
    •  The future of the press and the right to free expression in the UK
    •  An essential opportunity for anyone advising clients on freedom of expression, privacy and defamation or those working with the press

15.15   Tea break 

15.30   Afternoon keynote – Rights and the rule of law, judicial independence and democracy – Professor Robert Hazell QC CBE, the Constitution Unit, University College London

  • The role of our judges in interpreting and applying human rights law
  • Latest research from the Constitution Unit on the independence of the judiciary, the judicial function and the protection of individual rights
  • The future of the Human Rights Act 1998, the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights
  • The role of the judiciary in the future of rights protection

16.00   Panel discussion – chaired by Professor Tony Kelly, Chair of JUSTICE Scotland

Panel

  • Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Attorney General
  • Julian Huppert MP, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson
  • Maura McGowan QC, Chair, Bar Council
  • Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive, Law Society

17.00   Close

Fees

  • £100 discount for JUSTICE members
 category fee
Standard £400 + VAT
JUSTICE member £300 + VAT
Public sector £300 + VAT
NGO or academic £225 + VAT