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CONFERENCE REPORT
On a not so sunny day at the back end of September in a country far, far away, for most delegates at least, the ECBA held its Autumn Conference 2024, benefiting from the support of the Finnish Bar Association.
The organising committee managed to fulfil expectations and even exceed them, continuing a trend of raising the bar every time again. The Friday evening reception welcomed the delegates at the iconic XIX century Old Student’s House/ Vanha Ylioppilastalo, showing one of the first reasons why it was a great idea to travel to Helsinki for a conference.
Since the ECBA is not a tour operator but an organisation of outstanding professionals, the speakers on Saturday had the difficult task to match the beauty of the city with intellectually qualitative contributions. And did they succeed as well!
Our Chairperson Vincent Asselineau addressed a powerful opening speech, which was also his last as Chairperson, since he is passing the torch after having managed the position for six years, which he did with style and grace. He used his goodbye speech to honour our beautiful profession and thank all those who contribute to make a lawyer’s (professional) life possible.
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Programme
Conference opening – welcome speeches
Niko Jacobsson, Secretary General, Finnish Bar Association
Vincent Asselineau, Chair of the ECBA, France
Scott Crosby Human Rights Award 2024
Introduction by Alexis Anagnostakis, ECBA Human Rights Officer, Greece
Acceptance speech: Iryna Kozikava, defense lawyer, Belarus
o Vitaly Brahinets, defense lawyer, Belarus
o Aliaksandr Danilevich, defense lawyer, Belarus
o Maxim Znak, defense lawyer, Belarus
Panel No. 1: The European Convention on the Legal Profession: Review and perspective of the work of the Committee of Experts on the Protection of Lawyers (CJ-AV )
Chair: Vincent Asselineau, Chair of the ECBA, Observer at CJ-AV, France
The CJ-AV consists of 15 representatives of member States, as well as participants and observers as set out in the adopted Terms of reference. The Committee is tasked with the elaboration of a legal instrument aimed at strengthening the protection of the profession of lawyer and the right to practice the profession without prejudice or restraint, under the authority of the Committee of Ministers and of the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) of the Council of Europe.
o Sophio Gelashvili, Head of Legal Co-operation Unit, CDCJ
Secretary of the CJ-AV (online)
o Vasvija Vidović, defense lawyer, Bosnia Herzegovina
o Nathan Roosbeek, Legal Policy Advisor, CCBE, Brussels, Observer at CJ-AV
o Valérie Dupong, Luxembourg representative at the CJ-AV
Panel No. 2: Business & Human Rights: Mitigating litigation risks and criminal exposure
Chair: Salomé Lemasson, defense lawyer, France/Germany
Business & Human Rights litigation is picking up throughout Europe, with increasing exposure for companies resulting from their business activities worldwide. Panelists with different and complementary backgrounds (in-house counsel, criminal lawyers and NGO advocates) will discuss how human rights, social and environmental issues are progressively giving rise to innovative litigation, how companies address this increasing risk and how criminal lawyers are best equipped to assist in mitigating such a risk.
o Sonia Finér, Executive Director, Finnwatch
o Vladimir Hrle, defense lawyer, Serbia
o Juho Saloranta, sustainability lawyer, Finland
o Sylvain Savolainen, defense lawyer, Switzerland
Panel No. 3 Hungary's Rule of Law Crisis: A Stress Test
Introduction: Miroslav Krutina, ECBA Vice-Chair, Czechia
Chair: Mikolaj Pietrzak, defense lawyer, Poland
Viewpoints on the Hungarian present situation of the rule of law from lawyers, magistrates and academia
o Dr. Péter Bárándy, Board member of Union of Attorneys for Democracy and Rule of Law, former Minister of Justice, Hungary
o Prof. Petra Bárd, Chair in Sustainable Rule of Law/Radboud University
o Tamás Matusik, Judge, Hungary
ECBA Elections of the Executive Committee and the Advisory Board
PHOTO IMPRESSION
