Speakers
DR. LUIS FRANCESCHI
DEAN @
STRATHMORE LAW SCHOOL
Welcoming Remarks at Opening Ceremony
Luis G. Franceschi (LL.B, LL.M and LL.D) is Dean at Strathmore University Law School, where he also lectures Constitutional and International Law. He is Chairman of the Board of the Ethics Institute of East Africa, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Annual Ethics Conferences since 2004, and Chairman of A.L.L. Foundation. He is a Member of the Board of Governors of the International Association of Law Schools (IALS) based at Cornell Law School, NY, a Member of the Board of Sosian Energy, a Member of the Advisory Council of the International Justice Commission (The Hague) and a Member of the Board of Transparency International.He has been a Governing Council Delegate (Governing Council – UNEP and UNCHS) and the Legal Advisor to the President of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, where he co-drafted the UN Nairobi Declaration.Dr Franceschi is a weekly columnist with the Daily Nation. He speaks English and Spanish, and reads Italian and Portuguese.
MVUSO NOTYESI
CO-CHAIRPERSON@
LAW SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA
Remarks at Opening Ceremony
Law Society of South Africa will host of the 8th PALU Annual Conference and Triennial General Assembly, in Durban, Republic of South Africa (2017)
ELIJAH C. BANDA, SC
PRESIDENT @
PAN AFRICAN LAWYERS UNION
Panel Chair: Arbitration and Mediation: the state of the ‘field’ in Africa
Holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from the University of Zambia. He was admitted to practice as an advocate in December 1986. Was conferred with Rank, Honour and Dignity of State Counsel in 2008.
Elijah Banda, S.C. has held positions as Vice President of the Law Association of Zambia, President of the Law Association of Zambia. He is also currently serving as President of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), the umbrella association of African Lawyers and Law Societies. Elijah Banda, S.C. is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and also a member of the Zambian Chapter. He is also an accredited Court Mediator. Elijah Banda, S.C. is Senior Partner in the law firm of ECB Legal Practitioners, a leading commercial law firm in Zambia and recognized as such by Chambers Global. He has also been ranked by Chambers Global as a leading lawyer in Commercial Law (Dispute Resolution). ecbanda@zamnet.zm
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ISAAC E.N.K. OKERO
PRESIDENT@
LAW SOCIETY OF KENYA
Welcoming Remarks at Opening Ceremony
Isaac E.N.Okero is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over 26 years in practice. He studied Law at the University of Buckingham in the England graduating in 1988. He is the first President of the Law Society of Kenya elected under the Law Society of Kenya Act 2014.He leads the Kenyan National Bar Association formed in the year 1948 and currently comprising of over 13,000 Advocates.
He is the proprietor of Behan & Okero Advocates a Law Firm established in the year 2002 having previously been a Partner with Joginder Singh Behan & Company Advocates a position he held for ten years.
Mr. Okero serves as a Council member of various National, Regional and International institutions including: African Bar Leaders Forum, International Bar Association, the East African Law Society, and Advisory Board of the Office of Director of Public Prosecution. He is a member of the Commonwealth Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the Pan African Lawyers Union and East Africa Law Society. He is the Chairperson of the LSK Standing Committee on Judicial Appointments (SCOJA) established under his leadership this year.
Mr. Okero is a firm believer in protection of the rule of law and administration of justice.
DONALD PETER HERBERT, OBE, QC
PRESIDENT@
SOCIETY OF BLACK LAWYERS (SBL)
Solidarity Remarks at Opening Ceremony
TARIG ABDEL FATAH
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SECRETARIAT CHAIR@
SUDAN BAR UNION
Solidarity Remarks at Opening Ceremony
Represents the Arab Lawyers Union (ALU) at PALU's 7th Annual Conference.
JACQUELINE INGUTIAH
PROJECT LEAD @
ADVOCATES FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (A4ID)
Panel Chair: Business and Human Rights: Practical implications of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for lawyers in Africa
Jacqueline is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with ten years’ experience in gender and human rights issues. She is currently a Partner of Olel, Onyango, Ingutiah and Company Advocates and is the A4ID leader for this project in Kenya. Before joining A4ID, she was a Senior Legal Counsel at Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kenya, overseeing the running of the Kisumu regional office that covers 20 out of the 47 counties in Kenya. Linked to her extensive work with various legal reform and pro bono issues, Jacqueline was elected as a Vice-Chairperson of the West Kenya Law Society in August 2015 for a term of two years
HON. JUSTICE SYLVAIN ORÉ
PRESIDENT@
AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS (AfCHPR)
Keynote Speaker at Opening Cereony
ROGER LEESE
PARTNER@
CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP
Panel Presenter: Business and Human Rights: Practical implications of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for lawyers in Africa
Roger has 25 years’ experience of international litigation and dispute resolution at Clifford Chance LLP, the last 16 of which as a Partner. He specialises in commercial, corporate, trust and finance related disputes across a wide range of industries and co-heads the Firm’s Business and Human Rights practise. In addition, Roger is responsible for the Firm’s pro bono and Community Affairs programmes, chairs its Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and co-heads its Microfinance Group. He is a member of the UK Minister for International Development's international pro bono committee. He is also the Chair of the UK legal charity, Advocates for International Development (A4ID) and a Trustee of the Royal Courts of Justice Citizens Advice Bureau.
Melba is the Founding Director of the Strathmore Extractives Industry Centre (SEIC) based at the Strathmore University. SEIC is Kenya's leading research centre on advanced multi-disciplinary university-stakeholder research into the social science areas of oil, gas and mining issues. She is the current coordinator of the Information Centre for Extractives Sector (ICES), an online information platform on Kenya's extractives sector being supported by DFID. Melba has substantive experience working with various governmental and non-governmental institutions locally and internationally in the areas of legal advocacy, research, public participation and has carried out a variety of research initiatives on sustainability of the extractives sector. Previously she worked as a Special Project Advisor on Extractives and Human Rights at the Katiba Institute and legal adviser and senior researcher in the Office of the Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya. She also worked as a legal associate at one of New York's premier law firms, Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Panel Presenter: Business and Human Rights: Practical implications of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for lawyers in Africa
DR. MELBA WASUNNA
DIRECTOR@
STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY EXTRACTIVES INDUSTRY CENTRE (SEIC),STRATHMORE LAW SCHOOL
JOHN-SUZI BANDA
PRESIDENT@
MALAWI LAW SOCIETY
Panel Chair: Continental Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
John was called to the Malawi Bar in 2003. He immediately joined the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as Senior State Advocate both in the Attorney General’s and Director of Public Prosecution’s Chambers. He later joined Raymond & Hughes, a local law firm, before and joining Loita Investment Bank in 2004 which was later acquired by Ecobank Group in 2008. There he rose to become Company Secretary and Head of Legal Department. John also worked at a leading City of London law firm, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP in 2009. John was also seconded to 3-4 Square Chambers at Middle Temple in London where he was trained in commercial litigation. He later worked as the Group Head of Corporate Services of a regional engineering company based in Pretoria, South Africa, Matla Group (Pty) Limited. John is currently the Managing Partner of JB Suzi & Company, a law firm with offices in Blantyre and Lilongwe, Malawi.
Before his election as President of the Malawi Law Society in February, 2015, John was the Honorary Treasurer of the Society for two terms. John holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Malawi and a Masters in Business Administration from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (‘ESAMI’).
HERBERT M’CLEOD
COUNTRY DIRECTOR@
INTERNATIONAL GROWTH CENTRE (IGC) SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA
Panel Presenter: Business and Human Rights: Practical implications of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for lawyers in Africa
Herbert M’cleod’s professional career spans over 25 years as a development economist at the United Nations Development Programme, where he held various senior level positions including Director of Operations Policies and Programmes, UN Resident Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eritrea, and other African countries. From 2007 - 2012 he was Adviser in the Office of the President of Sierra Leone and head of the country’s negotiating team for mineral agreements. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council (GAC) on fragile states, and the GAC on the future of mines and minerals. He is a member of the Board of SHIFT, a not-for-profit organization promoting the UN Guiding Principles.He is the non-executive chairman of the Board for Standard Chartered Bank Ltd Sierra Leone. He has consulted extensively on matters relating to fragile states, mineral - dependent economies in Africa and regional economic cooperation. Currently he is the Country Director for the International Growth Centre’s offices in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
MELODY KOZAH
RESEARCH AND PROJECT OFFICER@
AFRICAN POLICING CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT FORUM (APCOF)
Panel Presenter: Continental Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
&
The Luanda Guidelines: Comparative experiences on the role of practising lawyers in implementing regional standards on Arrest and Pre-Trial Detention
Melody Rumbidzai Kozah-Chironga holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Masters in Human Rights Law (LLM) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is a self-motivated human rights lawyer with six years of experience and her focus has been on the regional and international human rights
framework governing a broad range of areas including the the rights of persons living with HIV, prisoners , women, children and refugees. She is currently working on police accountability and governance in Africa at the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum. She has previously worked for the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, the Democratic Governance and Rights Unit based at the University of Cape Town and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
KRISTEN PETERSEN
RESEARCHER@
CIVIL SOCIETY PRISON REFORM INITIATIVE (CSPRI), UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Panel Presenter: Continental Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
Kristen Petersen is a researcher at the University of the Western Cape’s Dullah Omar Institute for Constitutional Law, Governance and Human Rights in South Africa. She works in the department that deals with criminal justice and prison reform. She is an admitted attorney (2009); she holds an LLB from the University of the Western Cape (2006) and an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Cape Town (2012). She has previously worked for the Office of the Inspecting Judge for Prisons as the Assistant Director: Policy & Research focusing on conditions of incarceration and treatment of offenders in prisons in South Africa. She also previously worked in the legal services department of the South African Human Rights Commission in South Africa.
VICTOR MHANGO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR@
CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION, ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE (CHREAA)
Panel Presenter: Continental Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
Victor is a passionate human rights campaigner who has been vocal on many human rights issues, including prisoner’s rights, fighting for the right of vulnerable and discriminated groups such as sex workers. One of the projects he oversees is ‘Protecting Sex Workers from Police Abuse,’ which has ensured that the rights of this vulnerable group are openly discussed in public, and thus, addressed. One of the project’s main successes has been the establishment of helplines for the sex workers. Victor is also one of the members who goes on site visits with CHREAA’s paralegal sex worker in hotspots.
In relation to this project, CHREAA is also implementing the ‘Decriminalisation of Vagrancy and Nuisance Related Offences.’ Victor has been on the forefront, organising debates on the issue as well as advocating for the decriminalisation of nuisance related offences that discriminate against the poor.
In these two projects CHREAA has managed to send one vagrancy related case for Constitutional review at Malawi’s highest court. CHREAA is also in the process of prosecuting a case where a sex worker was abused by a police officer.
EVELYN CHIJARIRA
PROGRAMME OFFICER – HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHT@
PAN AFRICAN LAWYERS UNION (PALU)
Panel Presenter: Continental Initiatives for the Decriminalisation and Declassification of Petty Offences
VIMBAI NYEMBA
PRESIDENT@
LAW SOCIETY OF ZIMBABWE
Panel Chair: Law Practice Management: Technologies for the Legal Profession in Africa: State of the Art
Vimbai Nyemba is the current President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe after having been elected in the Law Society Council in 2009. Between 2013 and 2014 she was the vice president which saw her becoming president in 2015. During the time that she was elected into the Law Society Council, she was elected into Council of The Commonwealth Lawyers Association in 2010 and she still holds that position. Mrs. Nyemba also a Councillor of the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association (SADCLA) after having been elected into SADCLA Council in 2014.
She is the founder of a law firm called V. Nyemba & Associates which she founded in 1997 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Mrs. Nyemba graduated with a Bachelor of Laws Honours Degree (LLBs) in 1991 at the University of Zimbabwe and in 1992 she was admitted as a Legal Practitioner.
JANET KATISYA
ADVOCATE@LAWQUERY, MOMBASA, KENYA
Panel Presenter: Law Practice Management: Technologies for the Legal Profession in Africa: State of the Art
OLIVIA KIRATU
HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT@
ORARO & COMPANY ADVOCATES, NAIROBI, KENYA
Panel Presenter: Law Practice Management: Technologies for the Legal Profession in Africa: State of the Art
As leader of the business development team at Oraro & Co. (a top-tier Kenyan known primarily for its strong disputes practice) Olivia is a hybrid professional of sorts as she supports the firm's lawyers in engaging with clients, providing insights and maximizing the use of several digital and physical platforms. A lawyer by training, Olivia has close to a decade of experience in marketing, having played various roles in media, advertising, PR and strategy. She has experience working with top Kenyan firms as well as regional experience as she previously worked with a leading network of African firms with coverage in different countries including South Africa, Mauritius and Nigeria. At a global level she has experience working with several global networks and international practices. She is also finalizing her Masters in Communication from the University of Nairobi and has experience mentoring, training teams and motivational speaking.
CHIBUZO EKWEKWUO
MANAGING PARTNER@
A&E LAW PARTNERSHIP, LAGOS, NIGERIA
Panel Presenter: Law Practice Management: Technologies for the Legal Profession in Africa: State of the Art
Mr Ekwekwuo is a Nigerian trained lawyer. He holds a post graduate diploma in corruption studies from HongKong University, an MSC in Public Procurement Management for Sustainable Development from Turin University and an international professional certification as PPP Specialist from the joint certification program of IP3 Arlington Virginia and WEDC of Loughborough University UK. He is a partner in the law firm of A&E Law Partnership see www.aandelaw.com. He continues to provide legal advisory support to national and sub-national governments on various aspects of public finance management especially public procurement reforms.
His experience includes advisory work in privatization providing senior legal support to Nigeria's privatization agency. His energy law experience includes supporting reform and privatization of successor companies from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and advising both government departments and international investors in Nigeria on PPPs and other transactions.
EUGENE NYAWARA OTEKO
PROJECT MANAGER & PRODUCT OWNER @
UWAZI
HURIDOCS
GRACE MBOGO
PROGRAMME OFFICER – ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE@
PAN AFRICAN LAWYERS UNION
FLÁVIO MENETE
PRESIDENT@
MOZAMBIQUE BAR ASSOCIATION
Panel Chair: Responsibilities of Lawyers in Fighting Corruption: Introducing the draft PALU Code of Ethics on Anti-Corruption and Professional Compliance Standards for Lawyers Working in Africa
Panel Presenter: Responsibilities of Lawyers in Fighting Corruption: Introducing the draft PALU Code of Ethics on Anti-Corruption and Professional Compliance Standards for Lawyers Working in Africa
Grace Mbogo is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with continental experience in illicit financial flows, lawyer led anti-corruption efforts and human rights. She is currently a Programme Officer- Economic Governance Programme at Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU). She holds a post-graduate diploma in law from the Kenya School of Law and an LLB from the University of Nairobi. She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Rotaract Club Of Nairobi Central.
FRANÇOIS J. GODBOUT
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES@
PAN AFRICAN LAWYERS UNION
Panel Presenter: Responsibilities of Lawyers in Fighting Corruption: Introducing the draft PALU Code of Ethics on Anti-Corruption and Professional Compliance Standards for Lawyers Working in Africa
DIEU-DONNE WEDI DJAMBA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR@
AFRICAN COURT COALITION (ACC)
Panel Chair: Using the Rome Statute to prosecute ‘international’ crimes at national levels
Panel Presenter: Law Practice Management: Technologies for the Legal Profession in Africa: State of the Art
Eugene started working for HURIDOCS in 2010 as a consultant Graphic Designer and Web Developer. He later joined the team in 2015 as the Project Manager and Product Owner in charge of the Uwazi project.
Eugene has worked previously in a Kenyan Public Relations Agency and a Creative Agency as a Graphic Designer, Web Designer & Developer respectively. He is also very passionate about open governance, pan-africanism, and technology in Africa.
His other interests include Photography, Dance and Music— where he performs with a Kenyan band called Siri ya Muziki.
