Commonwealth Law Conferences

The Commonwealth Law Conference (CLC) is probably the most well known activity of the CLA. The CLC is a prestigious event that brings together legal practitioners from all over the Commonwealth to debate current issues affecting practice and the profession, exchange views and experiences with colleagues and get up to date with the latest commercial products and services.

First held in 1955, the CLC has been organised on a regular basis ever since. It was initially held every five years but, as a result of their success and popularity, this was reduced to every three years. The conference now takes place on a biannual basis.

In April 2008, The CLA conveyed its concerns about the proposed interim changes to the system for qualified lawyers from outside England & Wales.

The CLA noted that the opportunity to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales was important to lawyers across the Commonwealth. The values instilled as a result of this experience enabled many of them to make an even greater contribution to the profession and the legal systems in their respective jurisdictions. These principles are invaluable to those lawyers who are regularly on the ‘frontline’ in safeguarding peoples’ rights, promoting the rule of law and maintaining or raising standards of good practice.

Furthermore, the QLTR mechanism was important to many lawyers in the Commonwealth.  It is a vital means of enabling lawyers who have already qualified in other jurisdictions to enter the profession in England and Wales without being required to ‘re-qualify’.

The CLA monitored allegations of fixing judicial appointments that were made against a senior lawyer in Malaysia as a result of mobile phone footage purportedly recording the conversation.  The CLA made arrangements to send an independent observer to attend the hearings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry established by the Malaysian government to inquire into the authenticity of the video clip in November 2007.

In May 2008, the Royal Commission found that there was conceivably an insidious movement by the senior lawyer with the covert assistance of his close friends to involve themselves actively in the appointment of judges.  Two former Chief Justices were singled out along with the former Prime Minister.  The Royal Commission noted that they collectively had the effect of seriously undermining and eroding the independence and integrity of the judiciary as a whole. 

The CLA has liaised closely with the Malaysian Bar Council and will continue to monitor the situation.

The CLA made a submission to the Consultation on Deferral of Call by the Bar Standards Board in November 2006. One of the main proposals put forward was the deferral of call to the bar until after completion of a pupillage.

In it's submission, the CLA noted that its members attach great importance to their association with other common law countries. These links are often nurtured at law school or during vocational training and this connection is regularly cited by delegates attending the biannual Commonwealth Law Conference as one of the main reasons for attending. The CLA further argued that the values instilled as a result of this training enabled many barristers to make an even greater contribution to the profession in their respective jurisdictions. These principles are invaluable to those legal professionals who are regularly on the ‘frontline' in safeguarding peoples' rights, promoting the rule of law and maintaining or raising standards of good practice.

Following the consultation, the Bar Council decided that the proposed changes to deferral of call were a disproportionate response to the risk of public detriment caused by the present rules. As a result, they will introduce an online register for all barristers who hold a current practising certificate and all barristers undergoing a pupillage will have the title ‘pupil barrister’ until they are called to the bar.