The Law Society’s Human Rights and Equality Committee is hosting its annual conference on human rights on Friday 17 November in Blackhall Place (10am to 3pm).

The theme is ‘Digitising Justice’, and the event will explore the impact of technology on access to justice, and discuss how modernising the Courts Service can help improve overall efficiency and accessibility for marginalised groups.

The conference is free, and all are welcome to attend. It is worth 3.5 general CPD hours.

Online court

It will draw on experiences from other jurisdictions, and hear from civil-society organisations on how ‘digitising’ the justice system may affect the people they work with.

Judge Scott Schlegel of the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal will appear remotely to discuss the design and management of his online court, described as “one of the most advanced courts in the country for delivering justice online”.

The conference is organised by the Human Rights and Equality Committee in partnership with Law Society Professional Training.

Chair and speakers

Gary Lee (Office of the General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court) will chair the lecture. He is a member of the Council of the Law Society and chair of its Human Rights and Equality Committee.

Speakers include:

• Frank Clarke SC (former Chief Justice),
• Angela Denning (Chief Executive Officer, Courts Service),
• Judge Scott Schlegel (Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal),
• Cindy Carroll BL (deputy chair of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal),
• Siobhan Long, Manger (National Assisted Technology Training Service, Enable Ireland),
• Aoife Kelly Desmond (managing solicitor, Mercy Law Resource Centre),
• Sarah Benson (Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Aid).