CLA News / Year End Message 2024 from CLA President Dr. Peter D. Maynard KC

10/12/2024
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Greetings!

As 2024 draws to a close, it is clear that this has been a busy year for the CLA, which is undergoing quite a positive and ambitious reform, while at the same time protecting its core values.

The mandate under which I was elected consisted of three parts:

  1. Strengthening the core mission of protecting the rule of law, human rights and access to justice, and the independence of judges and lawyers.
  2. Increasing the value proposition of the CLA by increasing the engagement of lawyers in the opportunities to network; and
  3. Improving the financial viability of the CLA by stet the business model to provide multiple streams of revenue.

Much has been accomplished on the first two parts of my mandate. Much more has to be done on the third part.

The objective has been to provide a well-resourced platform for robust member engagement, networking, and professional development and at the same time, sponsorship and income streams to finance our work. Throughout the year, our conferences, workshops, webinars and networking events facilitated knowledge exchange and collaboration among our members.

Our commitment to advocacy remains unwavering. We intervened to support lawyers and judges and to address legal issues that affect the most vulnerable among us. Interventions are consistent with our core objectives of upholding human rights, the independence of lawyers and judges, and the rule of law. We made a positive impact beyond the courtroom and the boardroom.

The legal landscape is dynamic, and adapting to change is essential for our association’s continued success.  The infrastructure is in place for this adaptability. A host of dedicated CLA members made this possible. I express my profound thanks to all of them, many of whom are named below.

Hubs, Committees and Projects

The four CLA geographical Hubs:

  1. Africa (Linda Kasonde)
  2. Americas (Laurie Pawlitza)
  3. Australasia (Hasan Khan)
  4. Europe (Mark Stephens)

Committees and projects inviting the engagement of members, institutions and sponsors are as follows:

  1. ADR (Santhaan and René Baptiste)
  2. Climate Justice (Fiona Ey and Hasan Khan)
  3. Corporate & Commercial (Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi)
  4. Family Law (Laurie Pawlitza and Mark Woods
  5. Human Rights and Rule of Law (Sophie Stanbrook and David Greene)
  6. Law Tech (Amirali Nasir and Maria Mbeneka)
  7. Public and Administrative Law (Ron Heinrich and Trudi Pye)
  8. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu (Anti-Corruption )
  9. Government and Public Sector Lawyers (Eric Boucher)
  10. Young CLA (YCLA) (Hadassah Igoche and Siddharth Sijoria)

Projects include:

  1. CLA Online Training Institute & E-library (Justice John Carey)
  2. Affinity Card Committee (Secretariat)
  3. Pro Bono Advice and Assistance Panel (John Almeida, Mark Stephens)
  4. Women Lawyers Initiative (Hub VPs)
  5. Strategic Plan (Hubs, Committees, Secretariat)
  6. Rapid Response Mechanism (Brian Speers, Steven Thiru, Linda Kasonde, Salieu Taal, Ruggles Ferguson KC, René Baptiste)

A major project of the first quarter was the Borneo Rainforest Law Conference. In partnership with the Sabah Law Society, the Conference provided an excellent programme and faculty, in the spectacular surroundings of Borneo.  A major project of the fourth quarter was the Commonwealth Med. Arg Conference in Hyderabad. With about 275 attendees, it was a huge success, thanks to Santhaan and his Nivarah team and the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre of Hyderabad.

At CHOGM Samoa, it was quite apparent that the CLA should continue to carve out a strategic role. Amid the hubbub of the week’s events, a team of six CLA lawyers participated, with strategic focus on the application of the Commonwealth Charter and specific relevant practice areas.

Hubs, committees and projects are encouraged to consolidate and expand their progress by electing executives, by each submitting an action plan for 2025, consisting of engaging activities, and most importantly delivering value to members. While we have broken the trend of a drop in subscriptions after the CLC, we must consistently provide value to continue the renewal and growth of the engagement of members and the expansion of the sponsorship base. Hubs, committees and projects must also be effective in providing additional income streams and sponsors for the CLA.

We continue with our preparations for CLC Malta 2025. It promises to be a superb event. All the components are coming together nicely.

Thanks to Mark Woods, the Secretariat, and the entire team, the CLC Papers Committee and the CLC Organizing Committee are doing a tremendous job.

I wish you and your families a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year!

Dr. Peter D. Maynard KC

President, Commonwealth Lawyers Association

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