Rule of Law Forum

About the Forum

The Forum's purpose is to encourage and assist the membership of the IBA, both member organisations and individual members, to respond on a continuous basis to the call of the IBA Council, at the end of its Resolution passed in Prague in September 2005, 'to speak out in support of the Rule of Law within their respective communities'.

The full text of that Resolution can be found in the introduction to the commentary thereon prepared by the Forum. This was adopted by the IBA Council at its meeting during the Annual Conference in Madrid. Related documents can be found below.

Introduction

The Rule of Law Forum was formed in early 2007, following the very successful Rule of Law Symposium in Chicago, organised jointly by the International Bar Association and the American Bar Association, immediately before the Annual Conference in September 2006. Formerly called the Rule of Law Action Group, it is an entity within the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI).

Purpose

The Forum's purpose is to encourage and assist the membership of the Association, both member organisations and individual members, to respond on a continuous basis to the call of the Council, at the end of its Resolution passed in Prague in September 2005, 'to speak out in support of the Rule of Law within their respective communities'. The full text of that Resolution can be found in the introduction to the commentary thereon prepared by the Forum (see 'Documents').

Officers and membership

The activities of the Forum are the responsibility of its Co-Chairs, each of whom serves for a term of two years and is appointed by the Chair of PPID.

The Forum also has a number of Vice-Chairs, who are also appointed by the Chair of PPID. Their responsibility is to respond, if they can, to requests for assistance from the Co-Chairs. See full officer details

Because the Forum works across the Association as a whole, it does not have members like other committees of LPD and PPID. However, the Co-Chairs maintain a circulation list of those who have expressed interest in its activities in order to keep them regularly informed about those activities. However, the Forum is always interested in hearing from others interested in becoming involved and please contact the Co-Chairs to express your interest. The contact details for the Co-Chairs are on the IBA website. Alternatively, please join the IBA Rule of Law Forum symposium which is held on Friday of the annual conference week each year. This event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

Furthermore, all committees and other entities of LPD and PPID have been invited to appoint a 'Liaison member' to the Forum. The responsibility of each liaison member is (i) to keep the Co-Chairs of the Forum and the officers of his/her appointing committee fully informed about the activities and planned activities of each relevant to the other, and (ii) to ensure that the Rule of Law is in the forefront of the considerations of the officers of his/her appointing committee whenever the activities of that committee are being planned.

Current Projects

Download to view Rule of Law Forum: Strategy 2023/24

Download to view Endangered Lawyers Data Coalition (EDLC)

Events

Paris Annual Conference

• IBA Rule of Law Symposium, Homer Moyer Welcome

Rule of law forum speakers in Paris, November 2023

Rebuilding Ukraine: Investments and the Rule of Law

• In Washington DC, UBA joined a discussion about the post-war rebuilding Ukraine
• Background Paper on the Topic of Rebuilding Ukraine

Webinars, Videos and podcasts

Webinars

• INTERPOL and the rule of law
• The rule of law and media freedom: a symbiotic relationship
• Taking stock of global challenges to the rule of law: threats to the independence of lawyers and judges

Videos

• Rule of Law Symposium on Ukraine - the role and rule of law in modern conflict, Miami 2022
• Rule of Law Symposium on Leadership and the Powers of the Executive, Miami 2022
• Rule of Law Symposium - LexisNexis Lifetime Achievement Award to last living prosecutor of Nuremberg Benjamin Ferencz, Miami 2022
• Rule of Law video series
• Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law
• Rule of Law Symposium; IBA Annual Conference, Seoul 2019

Podcasts

• Poverty and the rule of law
• Toxic debate threatens rule of law
• Should lawyers speak out on the rule of law?

Preserving a Free Society series

• Governmental Power and the Rule of Law
• Independent media and the Rule of Law
• Threats to the Rule of Law: are we at a crisis point?
• The Responsibilities of Congress in Maintaining the Rule of Law

Subcommittees and other groups

The Rule of Law Forum also coordinates the activities of the following subcommittees/working groups.

• Rule of Law Forum Advisory Board