06 March 2023 The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has arrived in Goa, India for her keynote speech at the Commonwealth Law Conference (CLC) which will mark 20 years since the adoption of the Commonwealth’s Latimer House Principles.
Organised by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), the 23rd CLC is being held in Goa, India from 5-9 March 2023 on the theme of ‘Common Challenges in Uncommon Times’.
The Secretary-General’s speech will emphasize the importance of the Commonwealth’s Latimer House principles and the progress made over the past 20 years. The Principles provide an effective framework for governments, parliaments and judiciaries to implement the Commonwealth’s fundamental values.
On arrival in Goa, Secretary-General Scotland said:
“I am here at the invitation of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, an organisation with a rich history which has espoused and worked to transmit our Commonwealth values: Belief in democracy and the rule of law, good governance and human rights. It’s a great pleasure to be back in India and Goa and marking the milestone of 20 years since the establishment of the Latimer House Principles. The values in the Commonwealth Charter, and the principles that bind our family of 56 nations are all underpinned by the rule of law.”
The Latimer House Principles were spearheaded by four Commonwealth partner organisations – the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the Commonwealth Legal Education Association, the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The Commonwealth Lawyers Association is an accredited organisation of the Commonwealth Secretariat and a partner organisation of the Commonwealth’s Rule of Law Section.
Whilst at the 23rd Commonwealth Law Conference, the Commonwealth Secretary-General will conduct bilateral meetings with senior lawmakers and government officials from across the Commonwealth on matters of shared importance.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General will be in Goa on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th of March 2023.