CLA News / The Commonwealth Secretary-General Addresses Commonwealth Law Ministers in Fiji

At a time when the rule of law is under increasing strain across the globe, the Commonwealth’s legal community has a critical role to play in defending the institutions, standards and values that underpin democratic societies.

This theme was powerfully underscored in the opening address delivered by the Honourable Shirley Botchwey at the recent Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting, hosted in Nadi. Speaking to Ministers, Attorneys-General and legal leaders from across the Commonwealth, the Secretary-General warned that the world is experiencing a period of “profound global uncertainty”, in which the rule of law is being tested as never before. When laws are bent or ignored without consequence, she noted, the effects are not theoretical: inequality deepens, democracy frays and development stalls.

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), as one of the accredited organisations invited to participate in the meeting, welcomed the Secretary-General’s call for renewed commitment to the Commonwealth’s shared legal values. Her remarks highlighted the central importance of the rule of law to the Commonwealth’s identity, grounded in the Commonwealth Charter and the Latimer House Principles, and reinforced the need for practical cooperation to address the legal challenges facing member states.

In her address, the Secretary-General also set out the agenda for the days ahead: strengthening democratic resilience, ensuring the responsible use of technology in justice systems, addressing the legal dimensions of climate change, and improving access to justice for women, young people and vulnerable communities.

The full text of the Secretary-General’s opening remarks can be read here