Is the law keeping pace with technology to protect people’s rights and uphold transparency and accountability standards? How can public, regulatory and human rights law help ensure technologies are deployed for the benefit of society?

The event is kindly hosted by Fieldfisher.
You can click here to view Sajan Rai’s illustration for the event in full.

In-person booking closes Thursday 29 May at 12 noon (online booking will remain open).

In-person location: Fieldfisher, Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London, EC4R 3TT

Who this event is for:

  • Communities, and those representing communities, impacted by the use of technology within a human rights or regulatory dimension (concession tickets available and free tickets upon request).
  • Policy people in Government or NGOs concerned with regulating Big Tech and the use of technology, AI and Automated Decision Making (ADM).
  • Lawyers involved in all aspects of public, regulatory or human rights law associated with technology. 

In person and online versions:

  • This event is in person and online with slightly limited programme. 
  • Online ticket provides access to all plenary sessions and two breakout sessions in the morning and afternoon (see below).
  • The online version of the event will be made available as recordings to ALL delegates after the event.
  • In person event concludes with a reception with stunning views over the Thames!

Tickets

  • Standard: £160 in person / £99 Online
    (for those in private practice, Government and public bodies)
  • Discounted: £120 in person / £80 online
    (for NGOs, charities, trainees, pupils and paralegals, researchers and academics at universities)
  • Concession: £60 in person / £50 online
    (for community groups or small charities with under £250k income)
  • Student (Online only): £20
    (for students in full-time education making the booking using a valid university email address)

We will consider requests for free tickets, please contact [email protected].

Programme

09:00-09:30: Welcome and refreshments

09:30-09:40: Introduction and framing the day

  • Arianne Griffith, Public Law Project

09:40-09:50: AI in public bodies’ decisions – public law issues, judicial review and addressing risk

  • Andrew Lidbetter, Herbert Smith Freehills

09:50-11:00: Big Tech in government and law
How is tech being pitched to government, and how is Government pitching this to the electorate, and more importantly, how will that impact on safeguards to human rights, transparency and the environment?

  • Chair: Ellen Lefley, JUSTICE
  • Eleonor Duhs, Bates Wells
  • Sherif Elsayed-Ali, The Future of Technology Institute
  • Jonathan Peters, Fieldfisher
  • Caroline Wilson Palow, Privacy International

11:00-11:15: Break

11:15-12:00: Algorithms: a 101 for lawyers
An introductory sessions on how algorithms work and are used, for legal experts.

  • Chair: Sonali Naik KC, Garden Court Chambers
  • Professor Reuben Binns, University of Oxford

12:00-13:00: Morning breakouts

1. Fairness, transparency and accountability in tech (also available to online ticket holders)
This panel will look at the ways in which technology is being used in public decision-making, and how those decisions can be scrutinised in order to aid transparency.

  • Chair: Joe Summers, Public Law Project
  • Khatija Hafesji, Monckton Chambers
  • Mutale Nkonde, AI for the People
  • Julia Smakman, The Ada Lovelace Institute
  • Professor Joe Tomlinson, University of York

2. Data law: The public / private crossover (also available to online ticket holders)
When you have established that public authorities have got things wrong using data technologies, what remedies could be used beyond those available in conventional public law?

  • Chair: Ravi Naik, AWO Legal
  • Dr Oliver Butler, University of Nottingham
  • Harini Iyengar, 11KBW
  • Fiona Scolding KC, Landmark Chambers
  • Julianne Morrison, Monckton Chambers

3. Public procurement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Decision Making (ADM)
Our panel will address balancing risks and benefits in public procurement involving AI and ADM, and current and incoming guidance and legislation affecting this rapidly growing area. 

  • Chair: Zoe Gannon, 11KBW
  • Jonathan Blunden, Sharpe Pritchard
  • Rachel Coldicutt OBE, Careful Industries
  • Jake Hurfurt, Big Brother Watch
  • Azeem Suterwalla KC, Monckton Chambers

4. Children’s rights and technology
This session will look at the impact of technology on the welfare of children, and potential avenues of litigation for the protection of children’s rights in a changing field of data protection, AI and ADM, and Internet safety.

  • Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics
  • Lorna Cropper, Fieldfisher
  • Stephen Kinsella OBE, Law for Change and Clean Up the Internet
  • Marianne Lagrue, Coram Children’s Legal Centre
  • Dr Janis Wong, The Law Society and The Alan Turing Institute

13:00-14:00: Lunch

14:00-15:00: Public law, human rights and technology: An update
Our panel will look at recent domestic and relevant international caselaw, especially where precedents are being set.  They will also look at incoming domestic legislation, such as the Data (use and access) Bill, the AI Regulation Bill, and the potential for enforcement of rights and accountability.   

  • Chair: Caroline Selman, Public Law Project
  • Dr Susie Alegre, Garden Court Chambers
  • Alan Bates, Monckton Chambers
  • Rosa Curling, Foxglove
  • Alex Lawrence-Archer, AWO Legal
  • Professor Lorna McGregor, University of Essex

15:00-15:20: Break

15:20-16:20: Afternoon breakouts

5. AI and ADM in welfare benefits (also available to online ticket holders)
Does the DWPs deployment of technology bring with it the risk of unlawful or discriminatory decision making? How would we know, and what can be done to protect those at risk? What new rights could support us? The panel will look at how to obtain information in ‘black box’ situations, and what standards of transparency reporting are needed to ensure accountability. The panel will also look at how the law can, should and could be applied where ADM is used to make decisions affecting those reliant on good decision making at the DWP.

  • Chair: Aoife O’Reilly, Public Law Project
  • Matt Ahluwalia, Garden Court Chambers
  • Tom Royston, Garden Court North
  • Dr Alexandra Sinclair, University of Sydney
  • Jeni Tennison, Connected by Data

6. Technology and policing (also available to online ticket holders)
From facial recognition technology, GPS tagging to stop and search decision making, deployment of technology in policing has been fraught with controversy and legal challenge. Our panel discusses the threats and potential harms as well as the benefits of police use of technology and looks at recent litigation shaping the future of tech-enabled policing, with a focus on accountability, bias, and human rights.    

  • Chair: Dr Rosalili Wan Rosli, University of Bradford
  • Jodie Bradshaw, StopWatch
  • Derek Dempsey, Director of Empyrric and member of West Midlands Police Ethics Committee
  • Katrina Ffrench, UNJUST UK
  • Megan Goulding and Katy Watts, Liberty

7.  Regulating the gig economy
What role does and should the law have in regulating the gig economy to protect workers rights? How must employment mediated by such technologies balance efficiency and flexibility, with fairness and transparency? 

  • Chair: Angel Martin-Caballero, University of Manchester
  • Aislinn Kelly-Lyth, Blackstone Chambers
  • Natalia Rodriguez, ActionAid UK
  • Cansu Safak, Worker Info Exchange
  • Tim Sharp, Trade Union Congress
  • Alice Stevens, University of Law

8. Tech innovation and deployment in the social justice sector
This session will look at current and developing work in the UK social justice sector where technology and data use is being deployed to improve services and impact.

  • Chair: Catriona Filmer, Fieldfisher
  • Julie Bishop, Law Centres Network
  • Francesca Jarvis, Chayn
  • Finbar Mulholland, Access Social Care

16:20-16:30: Break

16:30-17:30: Big Tech, Public Law and Democracy
Big Tech is interwoven into our daily lives and is reshaping our democracies affecting everything from political discourse to the scrutiny of government decision making. What role does public law have in protecting us, especially people from marginalised communities, from its adverse effects? How do we future-proof regulation and how do we promote democracy and accountability in the UK and beyond?

  • Chair: Arianne Griffith, Public Law Project
  • Dr Seeta Peña Gangadharan, London School of Economics
  • Swee Leng Harris, Independent consultant on legal strategy and tech policy
  • George Peretz KC, Monckton Chambers

17:30-18:30: Drinks reception

With the kind support of Fieldfisher.


9 June 2025
9:00 am - 5:30 pm

Book now

Standard Ticket (In-person)

Price: £160.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £160.00

Standard Ticket (Online only)

Price: £99.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £99.00

Discounted Ticket (In-person)

Price: £120.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £120.00

Discounted Ticket (Online only)

Price: £80.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £80.00

Concession Ticket (In-person)

Price: £60.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £60.00

Concession Ticket (Online only)

Price: £50.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £50.00

Student Ticket (Online only)

Price: £20.00
VAT: £0.00
Total: £20.00

Book a place

Ticket Type Price Spaces
Standard Ticket (In-person)
For those in private practice, Government and public bodies.
£160.00
Standard Ticket (Online only)
For those in private practice, Government, and public bodies.
£99.00
Discounted Ticket (In-person)
For NGOs, charities, trainees, pupils and paralegals, researchers and academics at universities.
£120.00
Discounted Ticket (Online only)
For NGOs, charities, trainees, pupils and paralegals, researchers and academics at universities.
£80.00
Concession Ticket (In-person)
For community groups or very small charity with under £250k income.
£60.00
Concession Ticket (Online only)
For community groups or very small charity with under £250k income.
£50.00
Student Ticket (Online only)
For students in full-time education making the booking using a valid university email address.
£20.00

Pay now via credit/debit card