The Rule of Law is not merely the stock and trade of lawyers. It is our core value, the fulcrum of our profession and the polestar of our activity.  It is the social fabric that undergirds human rights, democratic principles, economic opportunity, social development, and the fundamental freedoms we all recognise as self-evident.  And with the world now facing unprecedented challenges, lawyers remain the first line of defence against efforts to undermine, circumscribe, or defeat the Rule of Law.  To underscore the critical importance of that mission, and the unwavering commitment shared by lawyers around the world, we have chosen to come together in an extraordinary way.

Three of the world’s major international lawyers’ associations — AIJA HRC (Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats Human Rights Committee), UIA IROL (Union Internationale des Avocats Institute for the Rule of Law), and ABA SIL (American Bar Association – Section of International Law) – have joined forces to launch the first 24-hour Webathon in defence of the Rule of Law.

We are proud to present a continuous series of two-hour panel discussions that will move like the sun across the planet, spanning continents and time zones.

Each panel will address a different aspect of the challenges faced by the Rule of Law and will be hosted by a leading bar or international law association,  including: the Law Society of England and Wales, the Barcelona Bar Association, Barra Mexicana de Abogados, the Inter-American Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the California Bar Association, the Law Council of Australia, LAWASIA, the NUPL (Philippines), the Society of Indian Law Firms, the Bar Association of India, the Deutscher Anwaltverein, the Warsaw Bar and the Paris Bar.

The Webathon will roll from 2:00 PM GMT on 4 May through 2:00 PM GMT on 5 May.

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The last panel will be hosted by the Paris Bar and will take place on May 5, 2021 from 2:00 to 4:00pm (CEST). It will be held in French and in English and will be translated live. It will focus on the issue of justice amid military conflict, particularly on whether the Rule of Law goes out the Window in times of war.

Programme of the Paris Bar panel:

Moderator: Stéphane de Navacelle, AIJA HRC Co-Chair; Former Member of the Paris Bar Council (Co-Président du Comité des droits de l’homme de l’Association internationale des Jeunes Avocats (AIJA); Ancien membre du Conseil de l’Ordre des Avocats de Paris).

Speakers:

• Marie O’Leary, Counsel, International Criminal Court (Avocat, Cour pénale international);
• Matthieu Bagard, Paris Bar Attorney, Avocats Sans Frontières France Secretary (Avocat au Barreau de Paris, Secrétaire, Avocats Sans Frontières France) ;
• Ghislaine Doucet, Doctor of Law, specialized in international humanitarian law, terrorism and international criminal law, Senior Legal Advisor to the ICRC Delegation in France (Docteur en droit, spécialisée en droit international humanitaire, terrorisme (DIH) et en droit international pénal, Conseiller juridique principal de la Délégation du CICR en France) ;
• Amélie Férey, Postdoctoral researcher (CERI), IRSEM resident (Chercheuse postdoctorale au Centre de Recherches Internationales de Sciences Po (CERI), résidente à l’Institut de Recherche stratégique de l’École Militaire (IRSEM)).

Closing remarks: Olivier Cousi, President of the Paris Bar (Bâtonnier du Barreau de Paris).