Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law
Encyclopedia
The Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law is a non-profit institution established under the patronage of the Government of Qatar
with the purpose of bringing together prominent members of the global legal community, in addition to senior figures in the fields of economics, and politics. The inaugural Law Forum was held in Doha
from 29–31 May 2009.
and Muslim
worlds.
These initial plans were later expanded upon to encompass a wider mandate of fostering inter-jurisdictional legal dialogue and supporting a "Global Commitment to the Rule of Law". The spectrum of delegates was widened to include economists, bankers, international policy experts, and members of regional and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Lord Woolf of Barnes
, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
, and Sir William Blair
, a prominent High Court Judge in England and Wales
, and expert on Islamic finance, were appointed as the Law Forum's Co-Conveners.
The organising process for the Law Forum was overseen by Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy
(iQ), a Qatar-based transnational law firm
and think-tank, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences. iQ's Principal and Chief Lawyer, Malik R. Dahlan
, was appointed as the Law Forum's Director.
, from 29–31 May 2009, and was attended by more than 500 delegates from 65 different legal jurisdictions. The event was primarily made up of panel sessions covering a range of legal, economic, and political matters:
, Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al-Marri, participants in the inaugural Law Forum included serving chief justice
s from 12 different legal jurisdictions, the President of the U.K. Supreme Court
, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
, the President of the International Court of Justice
, Hisashi Owada
, the President of the European Court of Human Rights
, Jean-Paul Costa
, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and senior members of the World Bank
, and the International Monetary Fund
.
, have stated that the Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law intends to hold its second full assembly in Doha in late 2011 or early 2012.
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
with the purpose of bringing together prominent members of the global legal community, in addition to senior figures in the fields of economics, and politics. The inaugural Law Forum was held in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
from 29–31 May 2009.
History
In 2008, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced plans to hold an international conference of what it termed "Global Leaders in Law", defined as prominent jurists, academics, and legal practitioners from legal jurisdictions representing every continent, and region in the world. The stated purpose of the conference was for delegates to discuss pressing matters of international legal, economic, and political concern, with a particular focus on addressing such issues in the context of the ArabArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
and Muslim
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
worlds.
These initial plans were later expanded upon to encompass a wider mandate of fostering inter-jurisdictional legal dialogue and supporting a "Global Commitment to the Rule of Law". The spectrum of delegates was widened to include economists, bankers, international policy experts, and members of regional and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Lord Woolf of Barnes
Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf
Harry Kenneth Woolf, Baron Woolf, PC, FBA, , born 2 May 1933, was Master of the Rolls from 1996 until 2000 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2000 until 2005. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 made him the first Lord Chief Justice to be President of the Courts of England and Wales...
, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
, and Sir William Blair
William Blair (judge)
Sir William James Lynton Blair , styled The Hon. Mr Justice Blair, is a British judge. He was previously a Queen's Counsel, specialising in domestic and international banking and finance law...
, a prominent High Court Judge in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, and expert on Islamic finance, were appointed as the Law Forum's Co-Conveners.
The organising process for the Law Forum was overseen by Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy
Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy
Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy, also known as iQ, is a transnational law firm, and think-tank with offices in Doha, Jeddah, and London. The institution's primary area of focus is the Arab World, in particular the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council...
(iQ), a Qatar-based transnational law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
and think-tank, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences. iQ's Principal and Chief Lawyer, Malik R. Dahlan
Malik R. Dahlan
Malik R. Dahlan is a multi-jurisdictional qualified lawyer, and an international policy expert. He is currently Principal and Chief Lawyer of law firm and think-tank Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy, Director of the Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law, and Special Adviser to the Qatar...
, was appointed as the Law Forum's Director.
Inaugural Law Forum
The inaugural assembly of the Law Forum took place in the Qatari capital, DohaDoha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, from 29–31 May 2009, and was attended by more than 500 delegates from 65 different legal jurisdictions. The event was primarily made up of panel sessions covering a range of legal, economic, and political matters:
- The implications of globalisation on justice
- The role of international judicial bodiesInternational judicial institutionInternational judicial institutions can be divided into courts, arbitral tribunals and quasi-judicial institutions. Courts are permanent bodies, with near the same composition for each case. Arbitral tribunals, by contrast, are constituted anew for each case. Both courts and arbitral tribunals can...
- Shari’ahShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
and legal reform in the Arab WorldArab worldThe Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the... - The Rule of LawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
- Islamic finance
- Sports lawSports lawSports law is an umbrella term used to describe the legal issues at work in the world of both amateur and professional sports. Sports law overlaps substantially with labor law, contract law, competition or antitrust law, and tort law. Issues like defamation and privacy rights are also an integral...
- Local and international legal practice
- Corporate centres and financial markets
- Global governance
- Regulatory law and the Credit Crunch
- Law and women
- The new Qatar international judiciary
- New trends in legal education development
- International dispute resolutionDispute resolutionDispute resolution is the process of resolving disputes between parties.-Methods:Methods of dispute resolution include:* lawsuits * arbitration* collaborative law* mediation* conciliation* many types of negotiation* facilitation...
, and the place of law and economics
Participants
In addition to the attendance of senior members of the Qatari political and legal establishment, including the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, and the Qatari Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al-Marri, participants in the inaugural Law Forum included serving chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
s from 12 different legal jurisdictions, the President of the U.K. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers
Nicholas Addison Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, KG PC is the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Before 1 October 2009 his title was Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. He was Master of the Rolls from 2000 to 2005 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2005...
, the President of the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, Hisashi Owada
Hisashi Owada
is a former Japanese diplomat and a judge on the International Court of Justice, and currently serves as its President, having been elected to this post in 2009.-Early life:Hisashi Owada was born in Shibata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. After earning a B.A...
, the President of the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, Jean-Paul Costa
Jean-Paul Costa
Jean-Paul Costa is a French jurist and has been President of the European Court of Human Rights since 19 January 2007. He was first appointed a judge of the Court on 1 November 1998, and in 2009 was elected to serve an additional three years as President...
, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and senior members of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, and the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
.
Future plans
Qatar's Assistant Foreign Minister for Follow-Up Affairs, Mohammed Al-Rumaihi, and the Law Forum's Director, Malik R. DahlanMalik R. Dahlan
Malik R. Dahlan is a multi-jurisdictional qualified lawyer, and an international policy expert. He is currently Principal and Chief Lawyer of law firm and think-tank Institution Quraysh for Law & Policy, Director of the Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law, and Special Adviser to the Qatar...
, have stated that the Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law intends to hold its second full assembly in Doha in late 2011 or early 2012.