CLA News / President’s Message (August 2026) – The Africa Legal Forum 2026: Connecting Legal Leaders Across Africa and the Commonwealth 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, themed ‘Recent Developments in Corporate, Commercial and Family Law’. Hosted by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (‘CLA’) in partnership with the International Academy of Family Lawyers (‘IAFL’) and the Rwanda Bar Association (‘RBA’), the Forum will take place from 28 to 30 October 2026 at the Serena Hotel, Kigali.

The Commonwealth is a vast, diverse family of nations, but its true strength lies in its regional hubs and active networks. For the CLA, its African Hub is a powerhouse of legal innovation, economic momentum, institutional development, and systemic transformation. Throughout 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 to Africa, as reflected in my September 2025 and November 2025 messages, I witnessed first-hand the vibrant energy, determination, and intellectual depth of the African legal community. Engaging directly with bar leaders, young lawyers, and judicial officers reaffirmed a vital truth: Africa’s legal profession is not just participating in global legal discourse; it is actively shaping it. The enthusiasm, resolve, and forward-thinking approach of practitioners across the region demonstrate why the CLA’s engagement in Africa is central to our wider 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.

Why the Africa Legal Forum Matters

The significance of the Africa Legal Forum is underscored by the exceptional calibre of senior figures and international experts who will bring their expertise to the event.

We are deeply honoured that Dr. Ugirashebuja Emmanuel, Minister for Justice and Attorney General of Rwanda, has graciously agreed to formally open the Forum. Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Philippe Lortie, First Secretary at the Hague Conference on Private International Law (‘HCCH’), will be speaking at a key plenary session. The participation of the HCCH 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 merely as a conventional academic conference, but as a high-value event that offers a practical blueprint for lawyers navigating the modern legal landscape. In an era marked by rapid technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and economic volatility, legal professionals cannot afford to operate in isolation.

Attending the Forum will offer delegates tangible advantages:

• Cross-border market entry and networking: Connect directly with legal leaders and decision-makers, senior partners, representatives of bar associations and law societies, and global legal specialists across the Commonwealth to build referral networks and cross-border partnerships.
• Actionable insights into emerging risks: Gain insights to respond to dynamic legal trends, including artificial intelligence (‘AI’); environmental, social, and governance (‘ESG’) requirements; data protection; and international asset tracing.
• Innovation in legal practice: Learn how to transition from traditional, more reactive litigation models to broader approaches encompassing high-value transactional advisory, preventative lawyering, and effective deal structuring.

Exploring the Legal Issues Shaping Tomorrow

The comprehensive three-day agenda is anchored directly in the Forum’s overarching theme, ‘Recent Developments in Corporate, Commercial and Family Law’, and will deliver pragmatic, forward-looking strategies. The Forum begins with the NextGen Lawyers Forum, open to all lawyers under 40 or within seven years of being called to the bar, and a Bar Leaders’ Roundtable. Following this, the programme dives into the core intersections of cross-border commerce and private client needs across dedicated dual streams.

In the corporate and commercial sphere, delegates will explore critical shifts in market entry, regional dispute resolution, data privacy, and managing high-stakes legal risks in digital economies and major infrastructure projects. Parallel sessions on family law will address the evolving complexities of cross-border wealth preservation, intergenerational asset transfers, and the enforcement of foreign matrimonial and custody decisions, highlighting the increasing intersection of family structures and business enterprises across international borders.

The Forum will culminate in an examination of the future of legal practice, helping to equip delegates to adapt to new disruptions affecting both commercial transactions and family law cases.

Be Part of the Conversation in Kigali

Whether you are a bar leader seeking to influence regulatory reform, a commercial lawyer structuring cross-border deals, a family law practitioner dealing with international estates, or an early-career lawyer ready to shape the future of our profession, this Forum offers an opportunity to engage with these legal issues alongside colleagues from multiple Commonwealth jurisdictions.

I invite you to secure your place today by clicking here to register. Join us in Kigali to forge new alliances and contribute directly to a more integrated and robust legal ecosystem throughout Africa and beyond.

While you are in Kigali, I strongly encourage you to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. As I reflected in a previous message, my own visit there was profoundly moving and 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

26 August 2026

Steven Thiru records his appreciation to Jaishanker Sadananda and Chin Oy Sim for their assistance in preparing this article.