Rule of law and ethics central themes at Law Society Annual Conference

The critical importance of the rule of law and ethical considerations for the legal professions were central themes at this year’s Law Society of Scotland Annual Conference.

The flagship event concluded yesterday with a packed agenda, as around 1,000 Law Society members and others attended either online or in person at the Edinburgh International Conference and Exhibition Centre.

Law Society Chief Executive Ben Kemp told delegates: “We do a lot of work around the rule of law, a topic that has of course become ever more pertinent and relevant in today’s society, something that we no longer I think in today’s world can take for granted.”

Law Society President Patricia Thom outlined the valuable role that solicitors can play: “We’re all ambassadors to our profession and likewise we can be champions to our communities by standing up for the rule of law. The same is true for access to justice, another vital topic that has been discussed this week.”

The rule of law was discussed further in a session featuring representatives of the International Bar Association and the American Bar Association alongside legal academic Professor Tom Mullen from the University of Glasgow.

American Bar Association President Michelle Behnke said: “Don’t take the rule of law for granted. It’s really important that we as lawyers, solicitors, that we remain engaged with the rule of law. Teaching about it, talking about it and, in our associations, advocating on its behalf.”

The importance of ethics and working in the public interest was also discussed, along with topics including wellbeing and mental health, technology and innovation, and regulation.

In the first of two keynote speeches, former Allen & Overy senior partner Guy Beringer CBE, KC spoke about the importance of solicitors considering the profession’s public standing and contribution to the public good rather than focussing only on immediate self interest.

Mr Beringer told the conference: “This isn’t just about one segment of the profession. It’s not about large commercial firms or smaller firms separately. It’s a collective issue.

“This is a challenge which must be met by leadership from the firms themselves. If they rely on regulators to tell them what to do, they’re halfway to losing the public trust which underpins their privileged and profitable position… The status of the profession is in the hands of the law firms themselves.”

Victoria Pratt, former chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court in the United States, gave the final keynote address, outlining how she had brought an approach based on kindness and respect to her courtroom work.

She said: “You should bring everything and everything that you are to your practise, to whatever the profession is and that is what changes systems, that is what justice looks like. People are more satisfied with the justice system, whether they win or lose.”