AJTC Conference 2011
(06 January 2012)
The latest AJTC annual conference was held at the BIS Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London on 17 November 2011.
The Conference followed the theme of the AJTC’s report ‘Administrative Justice at Risk’ and featured a range of speakers from the world of Administrative Justice. The event, which was on a smaller scale than in previous years, was attended by around 130 people.
The opening keynote speech was given by the Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC who was followed by Richard Thomas discussing ‘Administrative Justice at the Crossroads’. Ann Abraham, shortly to retire as Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, provided her perspective on complaint handling by public bodies. Recognising the role of new media in ‘spreading the message’ key segments of her speech were delivered in the format of ‘tweets’. Steve Hynes of Legal Action Group gave a view from the advice sector and Catherine Lee, Director of Access to Justice at MoJ provided a perspective from the Department and its Ministers. The afternoon session comprised a joint presentation from Council member Professor Alice Brown and Professor Malcolm Harrington on the subject of ‘Right First Time’. Professor Harrington is leading a review of the Work Capability Assessment for Employment and Support Allowance. Speeches were concluded by the Senior President of Tribunals, The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Carnwath, giving the judicial perspective.
Both sessions concluded with a panel discussion. The panel for the morning session included the Rt Hon Lord Newton of Braintree, first Chairman of the AJTC, who gave his own view of the current administrative justice landscape and prospective developments. The Master of the Rolls, the Rt Hon. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, joined the afternoon discussion panel.
Copies of Baroness Scotland's speech and the slides used by Richard Thomas and Aloce Brown are available here (zip file 400k)
Scottish
Cymru / Welsh
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