This session will provide an in depth examination of the Human Rights Act 1998 upon family law generally, and children's cases by experts in the field of family law. It will also provide an overview of the workings of the Act and the European Convention and examine the implications of Article 6 - "The right to a fair trial".

This session has been organised by the
Midland and Oxford Circuit in conjunction with
St Philips's Chambers and the
Family Law Bar Association.

Lord Woolf, in his interim report, stated that one of the major generators of unnecessary costs in civil litigation is expert evidence. And yet the expert witness plays a vital role in complex cases. This session examines effective advocacy and the practical ethics of work with expert witnesses under the CPR. How is the tension between the duty of the adversarial advocate and the duty of the expert witness to the Court to be resolved? Has the function of the Judge finally been usurped by the expert? Practical solutions will be proposed to questions fundamental to Access to Justice.

The Administrative Law Bar Association has convened a panel of speakers to deal with two legal issues that have come to the fore this year. There is a tension between the rights of an individual to privacy on the one hand and the citizen's right to know what information is used in making decisions that govern us all. A basic knowledge of the new Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information legislation going through Parliament will be required by all practitioners. The key questions are :

This session has been organised by
The Administrative Law Bar Association.

You will scarcely see a better informed or qualified panel than is assembled for this debate.
From among the issues to be addressed arise the following questions:

These matters cut to the heart of our nation's constitution - don't miss out.

This session has been organised by
The Wales & Chester Circuit.

Free Movement for workers means free movement for lawyers. Have brief will travel! New countries are joining the EU. New rights of establishment permit English lawyers to move throughout the EU. Cross-border activities offer a rich seam of business at the dawn of the new century. Seize the moment! Learn the truths, the pitfalls and the opportunities from those who have seen the new dawn.

This session has been organised jointly by
The Employment Law Bar Association and the Bar European Group.

How many times have you been tortured, arrested, intimidated or threatened because you have taken up a human rights case? How often do you fear for your own safety or that of your family because of the work that you do?

This workshop features speakers from countries where some lawyers cannot work without risk and where rights can be difficult and dangerous to enforce. Lawyers who engage in acts of great courage to uphold the Human Rights Act which we may take for granted will offer first-hand accounts of the situation in Northern Ireland, Turkey, Pakistan and Colombia. This workshop will explore issues including the responsibilities of the English Bar towards lawyers internationally and the support and protection of practising lawyers.

This session has been organised jointly by The Employment
Law Bar Association and the Bar European Group.