National Law Conference 2013 to kick off on 18 March

Thursday, 7 March 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

The National Law Conference (NLC) 2012/2013 is set to take place as a two day session from 18 to 19 March 2013 at The Kingsbury, Colombo, to discuss current and topical issues with a legal perspective.

The event will be held under the theme ’The Way Forward: Legal Challenges in a Developing Landscape’ and will feature Chief Justice Mohan Peiris as the Chief Guest along with Minister of Justice Rauff Hakeem and several other dignitaries, and the keynote speaker will be Singapore Institute of Legal Education Professor Walter Woon. Professor Woon is to speak on the legal and regulatory framework and the lessons that can be learned from Singapore.

The NCL is expected to highlight legal, socio-economic and commercial challenges faced by stakeholders and people related to individual industries in line with the four pillars identified as key areas of development in Sri Lanka, namely aviation, maritime, commercial and education. The conference is to be facilitated by eminent personalities, and for the first time since its inception, the NLC will open its doors to industry specialists and non lawyers from various sectors across the island. “In an attempt to bring in change, we at the committee decided that while the legal fraternity needs to be involved in decision making processes, it is mandatory to bring in experts from different industries and sectors to have a productive dialogue,” said NCL Committee Chairman Kuvera De Zoysa.

For every session of the NCL, an industry expert and several key panellists will be invited to be a part of the distinguished panel of speakers which will help the exchange views of the law framework versus industry reality prevalent in the present economic context. Zoysa stressed that the aim of the NCL this year is to encourage all individuals across diverse sectors to work synchronously for the mutual benefit and growth of relevant industries.

With the initiative providing a platform for personalities from various sectors to exchange information and the ability to negotiate possible solutions for pressing issues, a white paper listing the conclusions to all discussions and sessions illustrating problems and solutions will be released by the NCL later this year.

At the inaugural session, a felicitation event is also to be held for lawyers who have been in the practice for 50 years and above. For information relating to tickets for the National Law Conference, Bar Association of Sri Lanka Secretary Sanjaya Gamage can be be contacted via email at [email protected], or at 0777029747.