CLA News / President’s Message (August 2026): Gearing Up for the Africa Legal Forum 2026 by CLA President Steven Thiru
I am proud to invite legal practitioners, bar leaders, academics, and emerging advocates from across the Commonwealth and beyond to join us in Kigali, Rwanda, for the upcoming Africa Legal Forum 2026. This forum is hosted by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) in partnership with the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and the Rwanda Bar Association (RBA), and will take place 28–30 October 2026 at the Serena Hotel, Kigali. The theme of the Forum is ‘Recent developments in Corporate, Commercial and Family Law’.
The Commonwealth is a vast, diverse family of nations, but its true strength lies in its regional hubs and active networks. For the CLA, the African Hub is a powerhouse of legal innovation, economic momentum, and systemic transformation. Across the African continent, legal systems are evolving rapidly to meet the demands of modern commerce, cross-border trade, and complex societal changes.
In my recent visits across Africa, as reflected in my September 2025 and November 2025 messages, I witnessed firsthand the vibrant energy, determination, and intellectual depth of the African legal community. Engaging directly with bar leaders, young lawyers, and judicial officers across the continent reaffirmed a vital truth: Africa’s legal profession is not just participating in global legal discourse; it is actively shaping it. The enthusiasm, resilience, and forward-thinking perspective of African practitioners demonstrate why the CLA’s engagement in the region is central to our broader mission of championing the rule of law, advancing professional excellence, and fostering international legal solidarity.
Our upcoming gathering in Kigali stands as a cornerstone of this commitment.
Highlights of the Forum
The significance of the Africa Legal Forum is underscored by the exceptional caliber of leaders and international experts who will grace our platform.
We are deeply honored that Hon. Dr. Ugirashebuja Emmanuel, Minister for Justice and Attorney General of Rwanda, has graciously agreed to officially open the Forum. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that Mr. Philippe Lortie, First Secretary at the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), will be speaking at a key plenary session. The inclusion of the HCCH on our agenda brings an invaluable global perspective to our discussions on cross-border legal frameworks, private international law instruments, and international cooperation.
The Africa Legal Forum 2026 is deliberately structured not as a conventional academic conference, but as a high-value, practical blueprint for the modern lawyer. In an era marked by rapid technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and economic volatility, legal professionals cannot afford to operate in isolation.
Attending the Kigali forum offers delegates tangible strategic advantages:
- Cross-Border Market Entry & Networking: Connect directly with decision-makers, senior partners, bar leaders, and international specialists across the Commonwealth to build referral networks and cross-border partnerships.
- Actionable Insights into Emerging Risks: Gain practical strategies to navigate dynamic legal trends, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance, data protection, and international asset tracing.
- Elevating Practice Models: Learn how to transition from traditional, reactive litigation models into high-value transactional advisory, preventative lawyering, and strategic deal structuring.
Recent developments in Corporate, Commercial and Family Law
The comprehensive three-day agenda anchors itself directly in the Forum’s overarching theme, ‘Recent developments in Corporate, Commercial and Family Law’, delivering practical, forward-thinking strategies. The Forum begins with the NextGen Lawyers Forum, open to all lawyers under 40, and a Bar Leaders’ Roundtable. Following this, the program dives into the core intersections of cross-border commerce and private client needs across dedicated dual streams.
In the corporate and commercial sphere, delegates explore critical shifts in market entry, regional dispute resolution, data privacy, and navigating high-stakes legal risks in digital economies and major infrastructure projects. Parallel sessions on family law will address the modern complexities of cross-border wealth preservation, intergenerational asset transfers, and the enforcement of foreign matrimonial and custody decisions, highlighting how family structures and business enterprises increasingly overlap across international borders.
The forum culminates in an examination of the future of legal practice, equipping delegates to navigate emerging disruptions affecting both commercial transactions and family law cases.
Invitation to Join Us
Whether you are a bar leader seeking to influence regulatory reform, a commercial partner structuring cross-border deals, a family law practitioner navigating international estates, or an emerging lawyer ready to shape the future of our profession, this forum is designed for you. I invite you to secure your place today by registering here, forge new alliances, and contribute directly to a strong, integrated, and resilient legal ecosystem across Africa and beyond.
While you are in Kigali, I also strongly encourage every delegate to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. As I have shared previously, my own visit to the memorial was profoundly moving and has left an indelible impression on me. It serves as a powerful, humbling reminder of the extraordinary resilience of the Rwandan people, the imperative of human rights, and the solemn duty we, as legal professionals, bear to uphold justice and the rule of law.
I look forward to meeting you at the Forum.
Steven Thiru
President
Commonwealth Lawyers Association
