Commonwealth lawyers gather in Glasgow
More than 700 lawyers from across the globe are converging on Glasgow for a major international legal conference.
The 19th Commonwealth Law Conference is being hosted by the city from 12 to 16 April – the first time since 1977 that the biennial gathering has come to Scotland.
Judges, lawyers and academics from many Commonwealth nations will attend the conference at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC), generating an economic boost in the region of £1.4m for the city.
The conference, which was last held in 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa, has been brought to Glasgow in partnership between the Law Society of Scotland, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) and the SECC. It is officially the conference of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, which works to promote human rights and the rule of law across the Commonwealth, and to support lawyers in countries where their work may incur sanctions from the authorities.
This year’s conference follows the success of the Commonwealth Games staged in Glasgow last year, and takes forward the city's ambition to develop and strengthen its relationship with Commonwealth nations, cementing its reputation as a Commonwealth city.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “I’m delighted to welcome the delegates and organisers of the Commonwealth Law Conference to Glasgow. Not only will it mark the return of this prestigious meeting to Europe and the UK for the first time in a decade, it will also greatly contribute to the legacy derived from the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games last year.
“Hosting major conferences like the Commonwealth Law Conference reinforces the city’s reputation as a world-class business tourism destination.”
Alistair Morris, President of the Law Society of Scotland, commented: “The Commonwealth Law Conference provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase Scotland and its legal profession to lawyers from around the globe.
“It seems very fitting that we are hosting this prestigious event in Glasgow following the huge success of the 2014 Commonwealth Games – and I have no doubt that our Commonwealth colleagues will be as warmly welcomed by the city."
He added: “Hosting the event in Glasgow will not only give our solicitor members and the wider legal profession in Scotland the chance to benefit from sharing ideas and establishing lasting new relationships with their Commonwealth counterparts, it will also allow legal professionals from the Commonwealth nations and beyond to come to an exciting jurisdiction of 5 million people with a modern and flexible devolved legislature that seeks to address the social, economic and legal challenges of the 21st century in an innovative way."