The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) hosted its first virtual conference for the year 2021 a three-day, six-session event from January 27- 29. With COVID-19 as its theme, the conference addressed different aspects of the pandemic’s impacts on the legal profession in Africa and how lawyers, legal firms, bar and law associations, courts and regional bodies such as the African Union and regional courts have been responding. The impact on the profession has been more than just financial. Restrictions introduced by governments to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus have constrained civic space and a wide range of fundamental human rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression and information, and assembly. In turn, such restrictions have affected lawyers’ ability to do their work. Lawyers have a key role to play in protecting human rights and the civic space, in particular through strategic litigation, not just during the pandemic, but in general.
Click Link to Read More [PALU Jan-2021 Conference Report]