Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC) Chair Lachlan Stewart was part of this year’s Bar Council delegation to the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Toronto.
The IBA was founded in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, with the aim of protecting and advancing the rule of law globally. The IBA has more than 80,000 individual members, including representation from most of the world’s leading law firms, and 190 Bar associations and law societies spanning 170 countries.
This year’s programme covered discussions on the rule of law, AI, access to justice, diversity and human rights. I won’t attempt to summarise the busy schedule but I want to set out four highlights which will stay with me going forward.
The rule of law
At the opening ceremony, Rosalia Abella, a former Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, received the Benjamin Ferencz Rule of Law Lifetime Achievement award. The award is named after the lead prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials.
In her speech, Rosalia, who is one of Canada’s leading jurists, shared her story and the reason for her commitment to justice. Her parents were Holocaust survivors and she was born in a displaced persons camp in 1946 before arriving in Canada as a refugee 4 years later.
Her speech was a tribute to the rule of law as well as a call to action against the threats to the rule of law facing us around the world today. Rosalia’s speech was one of the most interesting and moving speeches I have ever heard.
The focus on the rule of law was returned to time and time again throughout the conference. In the final talk of the week, on the rule of law and economic sanctions, there wasn’t a spare seat in the house!
The squeeze on both legal practitioner and judicial independence is being felt by the legal profession all around the world and in these troubled times, I was inspired by the almost unanimous support for the rule of law principles.
IBA Young Lawyers' Committee
The committee’s session was focused on navigating the IBA and was excellent. The session gave us general advice about forming relationships – they are not formed overnight or at one conference. Their development takes time and nurturing.
To me, this advice seems applicable to most professional relationships and perhaps eases the pressure that you can feel early on in your career to strike up fantastic relationships with every solicitor you meet immediately.
As part of the session there was also a brief mindfulness segment, focused on being ‘present’ during conversations at the conference: are you actually concentrating on what the other person is saying? Are you really listening? The implication being that, often, we are not and our interactions are all the poorer for it. Being genuinely present in a conversation makes it a meaningful exchange of thoughts and ideas, rather than a talking match.
Engagement of young lawyers
I attended the Bar Issue Commission meeting, which is a forum within the IBA, focused on Bar leaders discussing issues that affect the legal profession globally. One topic discussed was the struggle of Bar associations being able to engage with junior practitioners.
This is a global challenge and seems part of a wider symptom of digital modern living in a post covid world. My father once gave me advice as to why so many people used to play for the local rugby club: ‘the winters were dark and there wasn’t a lot on TV’.
I think this shows there are now more ways to spend your time than there used to be ‘back in the day’. For many people work is also less intertwined with their personal lives.
Our Young Barristers Committee has been looking at the ‘future of our work’ and how barristers at the junior end of the Bar navigate their practice in a less physically connected profession.
In the IBA meeting, I suggested Bar associations must continue to persevere with in person social events for junior practitioners but with an increased variation, including events with no alcohol.
I also highlighted that Bar associations can add value for junior practitioners by offering education and training. I feel that Bar Council has done this well through putting on a number of events and activities aim at the young Bar, such as the ‘Handling ethical dilemmas at the Bar’ and the Anglo Dutch Exchange.
The reputation of the English and Welsh Bar
Throughout the week I was struck by how leading practitioners from across the globe warmly regarded barristers working in England and Wales. The Bar, and particularly London, are still regarded as marks of global legal excellence by our colleagues.
Next year’s conference
I would encourage junior practitioners to consider attending the IBA conference next year. The quality of speakers is second to none and there is no better place to broaden your outlook.
The ticket prices and associated costs are high but for junior practitioners and those new to the IBA, funding is available through IBA scholarships and the Bar Council international grants programme.
Lachlan Stewart is Chair of the Bar Council’s Young Barristers’ Committee. He is a criminal barrister at No5 Chambers based in Birmingham and he was called to the Bar in 2019.