Places are still available to attend Monday’s Law Society climate-justice conference 'Policies and Actions for a Climate Responsive Justice Sector'.

The conference takes place from 2pm – 6pm at the Presidents’ Hall in Blackhall Place.

The keynote speaker Matej Accetto, President of the Slovenian Constitutional Court, will be joined by leading domestic and international experts.

Law Society Director General Mark Garrett said “The legal profession has a fundamental role to play in mitigating the climate crisis and strengthening climate justice, through its work upholding the rule of law and providing access to justice."

Important role

“The Law Society also has an important role to play, working with Government and policy makers to strengthen environmental protection and advance reforms to planning legislation. The establishment of our Environmental and Planning Law Committee this year, and this conference, are illustrative of the importance we place on making a meaningful contribution to what is the most critical issue of our time.”

Zoe Richardson (partner in public and regulatory law at Fieldfisher and member of the Law Society’s Environmental and Planning Law Committee) said; “It is critical that legislation is put in place that ensures protections for our environment and effective public participation in the planning process, while at the same time facilitating necessary development.

“For all of these to happen efficiently and effectively, our planning system must also be appropriately resourced, in the public interest. This is the task faced by Government currently, as we approach a period of significant change in planning legislation, and an era of increased extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. We must work together as a profession, and society, to mitigate climate change, for future generations.”

Ethics

The conference will examine the Planning and Development Bill 2023, biodiversity, ethics and climate-conscious lawyering, and climate litigation. 

Confirmed speakers include:

• Matej Accetto (President of the Slovenian Constitutional Court),
• Gerry Liston (senior lawyer with the Global Legal Action Network),
• Brian MacSharry (head of a biodiversity group at the European Environment Agency),
• Alasdair Cameron (policy adviser in climate change and planning-and-environmental law, Law Society of England and Wales),
• Rachel Minch SC (partner at Philip Lee LLP) who will discuss the new legislation to reform Ireland's planning laws.

The conference will be followed by a wine reception in the Blue Room.

Three general CPD points by group study are available to attendees.

RSVP via the Law Society's website: Climate Justice Conference (lawsociety.ie).