The 2017 PALU Annual Conference and Triennial General Assembly

Last week to register at a discounted fee!

One more week to register at a discounted rate!

We already have confirmed participants from all five regions of continental Africa, from our diaspora as well as law firms and lawyers’ associations from Europe and North America. Do not miss the opportunity to network, build business ties while also learning about the most topical issues in legal practice on the continent!

If you need any assistance with registration or payment, you are welcome to contact the PALU Secretariat at [email protected], or via telephone +255 (27) 254-3192.

Programme

The Conference, the leading platform for lawyers on the continent, will have a continuous stream of activities along our 3 sections (Business Law, Legal Practice, and Public Interest and Development Law) that will satisfy the most demanding professionals. The programme can be found here. We will issue Certificates for purposes of Continuing Legal Education/ Continuing Professional Development (CLE/ CPD).

While we already have Panelists for the Sessions, any fully registered participant who is interested in speaking on any Panel, or in sponsoring a Conference Session, or any of the social activities, is welcome to contact the PALU Secretariat at [email protected], or via telephone at +255 (27) 254-3192.

The Code of Ethics on Anti-Corruption and Professional Compliance Standards for Lawyers working in Africa.

PALU has developed a Code of Ethics on Anti-Corruption and Compliance Standards for African Lawyers (Code of Ethics) which aims at enhancing the level of transparency and accountability in business transactions in Africa. The Code of Ethics will be formally adopted, and opened for signatures, during the Conference and General Assembly. A number of African intergovernmental agencies as well as business corporations have indicated to us that they will use signatures to this Code as one of the criteria when procuring law firms to provide services to them.

We invite African Lawyers to pledge their support to the Code of Ethics by clicking on this link.

The Triennial General Assembly

Notice is hereby given, as set out in Article 7.4 of the PALU Constitution, to all Members, Advocates from Africa and the Diaspora, Presidents and Representatives of National and Regional Lawyers’ Associations that the Triennial General Assembly will be held on Friday 7th July 2017, at 16:00, at Southern Sun Ehlangeni and Maharani Hotel, Durban, Republic of South Africa. This will incorporate: -

• Elections to the Executive Committee (Board) of PALU for the period 2017 – 2020. For anyone interested in serving on the PALU Board, the formal Nomination Form can be found here.
• Roundtable discussion on, and appointments to, PALU Committees, Task Forces and fora. We encourage members to indicate interest in the wide range of  PALU Committees, Task Forces and fora, which can be found here.

Please find attached the official Notice, containing the proposed Agenda.

Membership Committee:

PALU Secretariat has established Members’ Committees (also called ‘Practice Committees’). These Committees enable us to involve many more of our members in the daily life of PALU. PALU has committed to providing African lawyers and law firms the ideal platform to coalesce with others from across the continent and the diaspora who practice in the same specialised areas of law.

This year we invite our members to express interest in the PALU Members’s Committees and specifically in those that will be aligned to the key sessions we will be having in our conference this year. This committees include:

• The ICT Committee
• Anti-corruption Task Force
• The Anti-IFF Task Force
• The Litigation Committee including the sub-committee on Litigation in African International Courts and Tribunals
• The Committee on Law , Peace and Security 

Side Events

The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), based in Washington D.C, USA has come on board as a partner of PALU, for the Annual Conference. PALU and CIMA are co-organizing  a Side-Event, which will take place on Wednesday 5 July 2017, at Southern Sun Ehlangeni & Maharani Hotel, titled “Sub-Saharan Africa Consultation: Building Coalitions for Media Reform - A consultative approach to improving local, regional, and global action.” 

The CIMA Sub-Saharan Africa regional consultation is the third in a series of regional consultations that CIMA and Deutsche Welle Akademie are helping to organize with media stakeholders to diagnose the problems facing independent media in the world today.

Tournaments & Tourism

We have planned a number of social activities for Saturday 8^th July 2017, to provide the opportunities for members to unwind while networking.

For the Golf Tournament, the Team Captain, Mr. Nathans Browne, Advocate proposes 4-ball pairings. Please email [email protected] to sign up.

For the Soccer Tournament, the South Africa Indoor Football Association has organised for a tournament of consisting of teams of 7 players for exhibition matches of 30 minutes. Please email [email protected] to sign up.

For tourism excursions, be it for half-day, full-day or overnight tours, please click here for more information and discover the beautiful surroundings of Durban, including its amazing wildlife.

Accommodation

We have negotiated discounted rates with a variety of hotels to provide ample choice for your stay in Durban. As per South African Hospitality Industry Policy, an advance payment is normally required to secure booking, so we invite interested participants to communicate directly with your preferred option and book your accommodation. Available options are:

• Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani Hotels, Garden Court Marine Parade, Garden Court South (https://bookings.tsogosun.com)
• Blue Waters Hotel (http://www.bluewatershotel.co.za/rates.html)
• Road Lodge (https://clhg.com/hotel-rates/road-lodge)
• Belaire Suites Hotel (http://www.belairesuites.co.za/)

Visa

Citizens of SADC countries, and certain other countries, are visa exempt when entering South Africa. Should you require a visitor's visa to enter South Africa, PALU will provide both an invitation letter and a visa letter in support of your visa application. All visa applications should be submitted to the South African Embassy in your country of origin or residence.

For more information on visas, you can visit: https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyDestination.php?p1=za&fl=&s=yes

Airport Transfers

PALU will not provide airport transfers in Durban. However, the city is well served with a regular Shuttle Service, as well as taxis, to and from King Shaka International Airport to all the Hotels.

There are accredited Service Provider who have Shuttles departing from King Shaka International Airport in 30/45 minute intervals, between 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day.

No bookings required for this service. The cost is R80 (5$) per person to Durban and tickets are available on the bus. (https://shuttle.airportbustransport.co.za/)

We welcome you to the pre-eminent gathering of African lawyers, law firms and lawyers’ associations, in what is already certain to be a phenomenal event!