This session will explore: the current issues in defending and protecting the rule of law in the Americas and the status of this battle around world; the problem of regressing; rethinking colonial influences and powers in Caribbean courts and impact on human rights; and the role of the lawyers and law firms in rule of law matters.

The territory of the Americas suffered five-hundred years of European colonisation mostly from the Spanish, Portuguese and English, and to a lesser extent from the French and Dutch. They brought their culture and legislation to a new continent, and some of the laws were cruel, inhumane and degrading. This panel will debate the rule of law in the Americas with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. The discussion will touch upon four topics which are topical in the Americas today: the regression of the rule of law in Venezuela and Mexico; the role of British colonial powers in hindering the development of the rule of law in the Caribbean; the status and impact of these problems around the world; and the role of lawyers and law firms in these matters.