Judicial Review Trends and Forecasts 2022: Democracy and the Law

PLEASE NOTE: This event is now entirely SOLD OUT.  There are no waiting lists, and we will not be putting any cancellations back on sale.

PLP’s annual conference is back and in-person, for a day of cutting-edge analysis, insight and opinion from the UK’s leading lawyers and legal thinkers, presented in partnership with Blackstone Chambers and Herbert Smith Freehills.  This year’s theme is Democracy and the Law. You can view Martin Rowson’s masterpiece for this year’s event, in full, here.

This event is for
All practitioners involved in all aspects of public law and judicial review, including those in private practice, Government, NGOs (including policy and advocacy work), researchers and academics.

Tickets and pricing
Tickets are priced at £295 full price, £230 discounted rate (for NGOs, those within 3 years of call, trainees and paralegals). Block booking discounts (3 or more places) are available (please see the end of this page for rates).  Please e-mail the events team, [email protected], to make arrangements.

Delegate packs: We are moving away from printed delegate packs and so are only providing an electronic copy of the pack for this conference. If you wish to access the material on the day, please bring a device with which to do so. There are some charging points around the conference space, but these are limited, so please do bring a fully charged device if you can.  If you require a printed pack for accessibility reasons, please email [email protected] to request one.   As we have a very limited run of packs you must give a good reason.

Morning sessions

Chair: Joanne Clement KC, 11KBW

9.30 Introduction

• Jo Hickman, Public Law Project

9.40 Opening address

The Independent Human Rights Act Review (IHRAR) and the question as to whether the Human Rights Act 1998 is working effectively.

• Sir Peter Gross

10.10 The top public law cases of the year

• Bijan Hoshi, Public Law Project
• Ravi Mehta, Blackstone Chambers
• Nusrat Zar, Herbert Smith Freehills

11.00 Break

11.15 EU Law

• Chair: Samuel Willis, Public Law Project
• James McClelland KC and Zahra Al-Rikabi, Brick Court Chambers

12.00 Morning breakouts – choose one of four:

1. Computer says no: Citizenship, residency and the right to rent and work
More and more decision-making in the arena of citizenship law is being automated. These algorithms are being used to identify fraudulent immigration claims as well as to determine the allowance of benefits for those on universal credit or using the EUSS. This session will look at some of those challenges, as well as the potential pitfalls of digital-only status.

• Chair: Jo Hynes, Public Law Project
• Robert Palmer KC, Monckton Chambers
• Luke Piper, The 3Million
• Dr Joe Tomlinson, University of York
• Dr Dora Olivia Vicol, CEO, Work Rights Centre

2. Judicial review of the regulators

Our speakers will look at the recent use of judicial review to challenge decisions across a range of regulators.

• Andrew Lidbetter, Jasveer Randhawa, Herbert Smith Freehillls

3. Democracy and the law: Inside the black box
What do we need to know about Government decision making to ensure it is fair and lawful? What are the minimum thresholds of disclosure and Duty of Candour to ensure record keeping that can, in turn, ensure accountability before the law? This session will look at the implications of a number of cases, such as the challenge to Government use of ephemeral messaging services, and cases about transparency, including PLP’s challenge to the Government’s refusal to publish its evidence to the IRAL.

• Chair: Isabel Buchanan, Blackstone Chambers
• Ariane Adam, Public Law Project
• Dr Elizabeth O’Loughlin, Durham University
• Professor Sandra Wachter,  University of Oxford (recorded presentation)
• Pete Weatherby KC, Garden Court North (recorded presentation)

4. Democracy and the law: Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022
Then Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022 ushers in new restrictions on freedoms, including to protest, and which will impact the lives of groups such as Roma and Gypsy travellers. The panel will discuss the impact on groups and individuals, and what legal challenges may arise from the Act’s implementation.

• Chair: Tessa Buchanan, Garden Court Chambers
• Abimbola Johnson, 25 Bedford Row
• Abbie Kirkby and Ivy Manning, Friends, Families and Travellers
• Katy Watts, Liberty

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Afternoon breakouts, choose one of four:

5. Democracy and the law: Who has standing?
This session looks at the basic principles, such as sufficient interest, that underpin standing, including in group claims and public interest cases. The panel will also look at recent case law and ask whether The Admin Court is applying a higher threshold than previously, and what claimant lawyers should establish to approach a client’s standing with confidence.

• Chair: James Wood, Herbert Smith Freehills
• George Molyneaux and Natasha Simonsen, Blackstone Chambers
• Stacy Stroud, Reprieve

6. Crimmigration and the attack on Asylum
Criminalising the actions of migrants can cause injustice, and moves the legal process further from ensuring accountability of the state. This session looks at the rise of ‘crimmigration law’ it’s impact on migrants’ lives, including transnationally, and at what can be done to uphold migrants rights when they are being criminalised. Speakers will also look at the immigration enforcement system borrowing tactics from the criminal justice system, e.g. through the use of GPS tagging for those on immigration bail.

• Chair: Kate Macpherson, Asylum Aid
• Greg Ó Ceallaigh, Garden Court Chambers
• Professor Juliet Stumpf, Lewis & Clark Law School (recorded presentation)
• Rudy Schulkind, Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID)
• Colin Yeo, Garden Court Chambers

7. Socio economic rights and the Socio-Economic Duty
As the cost of living crisis deepens in the UK, is the UK complying with international and domestic rights obligations? What soci-economic rights are potentially enforceable in the UK to ensure the dignity and well-being of those most affected and what are the implications of the implementation of the socio economic duty in Wales?

• Chair: Caroline Selman, Public Law Project
• Jamie Burton KC, Doughty Street Chambers
• Carla Clarke, Central England Law Centre

8. New legislation in the works and coming online – what you need to know:
This session will look at implications for public lawyers from a number of newly passed acts and Bills in-process. These include the Subsidy Control Act, The Data Reform Bill, The Online Safety Bill, and the Procurement Bill.

• Chair: Emma Dixon, Blackstone Chambers
• Jonathan Blunden, DLA Piper
• Kieron Beal KC, Blackstone Chambers
• Dr Monica Horten & Mariano delli Santi, Open Rights Group (ORG)

Afternoon plenary sessions

15.00 Democracy and the Law: What is their future relationship?

• Bronwen Maddox, Director and Chief Executive, Chatham House
  

Panellists:

• Chair: Sir Jonathan Jones KCB KC (Hon), Linklaters
• Tom Hickman KC, Blackstone Chambers
• Marcia Willis Stewart KC (Hon)

16.00 Break

16.15 International law in judicial review

• Chair: Arabella Lang, Public Law Project
• Shaheed Fatima KC and Paul Luckhurst, Blackstone Chambers

16.55 The Rule of Law in Britain today, and the Supreme Court’s part in its protection 

• Professor Conor Gearty KC (Hon)

Professor Gearty will address his talk to a panel made up of up and coming lawyers, who will in turn question the Professor on his analysis before throwing open to the floor.

Panelists:

• Chair: Eva Doerr, Garden Court Chambers
• Lui Asquith, Russell Cooke
• Kir West-Hunter, 11KBW Scholar 2022

17.40 Finish followed by drinks reception

GROUP BOOKING (STANDARD RATE) 3-6 PLACES

PRICE: £245.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £245.00

GROUP BOOKING (DISCOUNTED RATE) 3-6 PLACES

PRICE: £190.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £190.00

GROUP BOOKING 7-9 PLACES

PRICE: £235.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £235.00

GROUP BOOKING 10-12 PLACES

PRICE: £220.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £220.00

GROUP BOOKING 12-14 PLACES

PRICE: £210.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £210.00

GROUP BOOKING 15 OR MORE PLACES

PRICE: £200.00
VAT: £0.00
TOTAL: £200.00

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