Over 700 people from more than 30 countries united to discuss pressing global issues including human trafficking, death penalty matters, elder abuse, statelessness, and migrants crossing borders.
Twenty law students travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal to attend the 8th Asia Pro Bono Conference and discuss how pro bono initiatives can improve access to justice in Asia and around the world.
The conference consisted of a series of seminars involving all participants, and smaller workshops on specific topics relating to the theme Justice for All: Empower, Engage, Sustain. Students were joined by lawyers, academics, government officials, law enforcement officers and NGOs in a variety of seminars and workshops.
Students heard from many noteworthy international speakers throughout the conference including Hina Jilana, who set the tone on the first day of the conference saying, “Lawyers who refuse or prevent someone from accessing justice, especially pro bono, is someone who is reneging on their commitment to the rule of law and ending inequality and discrimination”. As an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Hina has conducted many landmark cases setting new human rights standards in the country. She also created Pakistan’s first all-women law firm and co-founded Pakistan’s first legal aid centre.
Fifth year student Sarah Kneipp studying a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws (Honours), reflected on her experience in Kathmandu. “Hearing about refugee or human trafficking problems firsthand from experts around the world, from countries such as Japan, South Korea and New Zealand was eye-opening. We learned about how they are tackling these issues through policy and new models,” she said.
Students also attended an additional workshop separate to the conference on Street Law. Street Law involves a variety of community legal programmes where law students and pro bono lawyers engage with community members by facilitating practical law lessons. Facilitators explain how law works in daily life and how the law is able to protect the public. The workshops also promote awareness about the rights of deprived segments, motivate people to become conscious stakeholders, and provide knowledge about fundamental rights and legal remedies.
“Experiencing a conference like this was so valuable because you get a tangible sense of the global community and the role everyone can play in creating better solutions for a whole range of issues,” Sarah said.
Find out more about QUT's law and justice international experiences.