TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA THE Qatar Law Forum 2012 opened on Friday with junior lawyers from around the world debating the topic ‘The Rule of Law and the Future.’ The debate drew together the brightest of young legal minds from countries spanning six continents to exchange views and experiences on the rule of law.

The recurring themes of the discussion were access to the law in both the developing and developed worlds, and the role of the future legal profession to uphold the rule of law.

As many as 15 young Qatari lawyers participated in the debate, representing a host of local organisations including the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC), the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority, Qatar Petroleum and the Qatar Foundation.

Junior lawyers from over 20 countries brought views from widely differing legal jurisdictions, such as Afghanistan, El Savador, India, New Zealand, Russia, Uganda or the USA. Identified as future leaders in the law, the junior lawyers discussed the challenges to the rule of law they face in their individual countries and what the future holds for the rule of law from a global perspective.

The junior lawyers’ session marks the first in a series of debates among global leaders in law at the Qatar Law Forum 2012 that will conclude on Sunday.

Toby Brown, lead organiser of the junior lawyers programme said that the diversity of the young lawyers present reflected the global nature of the Qatar Law Forum 2012.

“We have heard personal accounts of the rule of law in countries ranging from Azerbaijan to Zambia and yet the debate has concluded that in the majority of cases, we share common principles and values although we come from different backgrounds,” he said.

Mizan Abdulrouf, who led the discussion on access to the law, concluded: “Our future needs to be one where everyone is given the opportunity to access the law, whether rich or poor; a world where everyone is treated equally before the law.”