Raising the Bar: the changing environment for the legal profession in East

Africa

Draft Program for the East Africa Law Society Annual Conference and General
Meeting (15th to 16th November 2013) at the Sarova Whitesands beach resort
and spa.
Day One: Thursday November 14th 2013
7.00pm 9.00pm: Networking Dinner for the leading firms of East Africa (Tamarind Restaurant
Mombasa.)
Day Two: Friday November 15th 2013.
Morning Session.
7.30am 9.00am: Registration
9.00 10.30am: Opening Ceremony

Welcome Remarks: Mr. Eric Mutua; Chairman Law Society of Kenya

Introductory Remarks: Mr. James Aggrey Mwamu President East Africa Law Society

Official Opening of the AC/ AGM by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta President of the
Republic of Kenya

10.30 11.00am: Refreshments and Group Photographs

11.00 12.00: Keynote Address
12.00 12.30pm: Plenary
12.45 1.45pm: Lunch.

Raising the Bar: the changing environment for the legal profession in East
Africa
TIME

2:00PM to
2:40PM

TRACK 1

TRACK 2

Track One: Running a successful Legal Practice:

A global perspective (IBA Facilitated)

Emerging legal and Policy issues in East Africa

Cases of lawyers being sued by their clients are

becoming rife. How does todays legal practitioner
protect themselves from such suits and is there need
for a clear and referable code of ethics against which
actions of practitioners can be measured? What are
the lessons from other jurisdictions?

2:40PM to
3:00PM
3:00PM to
3:40PM

Professional indemnity and ethics

Against the backdrop of the first elections held

under the new constitution in Kenya and the
ongoing Constitution Review Process in Tanzania,
the topic offers the legal profession an opportunity
to query the processes involved in constitution
making while also allowing an opportunity to
interrogate the preparedness or otherwise of the
National Electoral Bodies to organise and preside
over credible electoral processes. The topic is even
more pertinent due to the fact that the period 2014
to 2017 will see a series of elections in the region.

PLENARY 1

Towards a globally competitive CPD regime for

Lawyers in East Africa

As the regional integration process moves further,

there is a growing need to harmonise
standards/ethics of practice in the region and to
ensure that the legal profession across the region is
properly equipped to jointly address the many
emerging challenges. The topic explores the need or
otherwise of a harmonised CPD curriculum and the
importance of a standardised code of ethics for legal
practitioners in the region.

3:40PM to
4:00PM
4:00PM to
4:40PM

Constitutionalism and democracy in East

Africa: a snapshot.

Bridging the gap between the Bar, the Bench

and the Executive

A panel of eminent persons drawn from the Bar, the

Bench and the Executive will delve into the
relationship among the three critical actors in the
delivery of justice. Issues to do with the
enforcement of unpopular Court judgements,
detention of lawyers as they lawfully carry out their
work and the independence of the Judiciary will be
explored. The panel will also give their views on the
implications of emerging jurisprudence with a
regional impact such as the decision in the IMLU
Case and the Kenyan Election Petition.

PLENARY 2

Taking your place in the lucrative African legal

business landscape

While the quality and quantity of legal transactions

Legal and Policy frameworks to ensure

transparency and accountability in the
extractive industries sector.

Raising the Bar: the changing environment for the legal profession in East
Africa
in East Africa continue to grow; there has not been a
commensurate rise in the number of local firms
taking part in these deals. What is required for the
firms within the region to gain competitiveness in
this highly lucrative area?

Kenya and Uganda have struck huge deposits of the

fabled black gold while Tanzania has discovered
what could be the largest deposits of Natural Gas in
the world. What are the implications of these finds
on the economies and peoples of East Africa and
what legal and policy frameworks are necessary to
ensure that the money from them is used in a
transparent and useful manner?

4:40PM to
5:00PM

PLENARY

5:00PM to
5:30PM

EVENING TEA

7.00 10.00pm: Gala Dinner

Day 2. Saturday November 16th 2013.
7.30 9.00am: Registration
9.00 10.am: Presentation on the state of Implementation of Cross Border Legal Practice in East
Africa
10.00am 2.00pm: AGM as per notice

1.00 2.00pm: Lunch

2.00 6.00pm: Tours and Excursions