The Inaugural Margaret Thatcher Centre Rule of Law Conference

About this event

Under the leadership of Shannon Hale, Director of the Rule of Law Programme for the Margaret Thatcher Centre, and Blair Gibbs, Policy Director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre, we are launching a landmark series of events that will bring to bear a greater scrutiny of issues relating to the rule of law than has, until now, been the case within the United Kingdom.

For Margaret Thatcher, the rule of law was of equal importance to freedom and democracy, and yet in Britain today, basic concepts such as natural justice, due process and innocence until proven guilty are no longer at the heart of a legal system that denies too many access to justice. Two-tier justice seems increasingly commonplace.

In partnership with and with the generous support of the Danube Institute and the International Reagan-Thatcher Society, this first event in the series will focus on the growth in powers of the state and regulators, and a discussion around how together, we will work to reshape policy in this most critical of fields through a series of keynote addresses and panel discussions led by leading jurists, academics, politicians, practitioners and opinion formers.

Among the keynote speakers and panellists already confirmed are:

• The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Shadow Justice Secretary
• The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland, Former Lord Chancellor
• Dr Larry Arnn, President, Hillsdale College
• The Rt Hon The Lord Young of Acton, Founder, The Free Speech Union
• Dr Tim Aker, Academic Director, The Margaret Thatcher Centre
• The Rt Hon The Lord Wolfson of Tredegar KC, Shadow Attorney General
• Jack Rankin MP, Windsor
• Dr Bryn Harris, Chief Legal Counsel, The Free Speech Union
• Martin Howe KC, Barrister, 8 New Square
• Kerry Underwood, Solicitor, Law Abroad Plc
• Preston Byrne, Fellow, The Adam Smith Institute
• David Oldroyd-Bolt, Anglosphere Fellow at the Danube Institute
• Professor James Allan, University of Queensland
• Matthew Richardson, Barrister, Brown Rudnick LLP
• Stephen Hackett, Barrister, 3 Hare Court
• Adam King, Barrister, QEB Hollis Whitman
• The Rt Hon Sir David Davis MP, Former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
• Adam Richardson, Barrister, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
• Steve Barrett, Barrister & Writer
• Istvan Kiss, Executive Director, The Danube Institute
• Melissa O’Sullivan Secretary & Treasurer, The International Reagan-Thatcher Society
• Gergely Dobozi, Head of Operations, The Danube Institute
• Donal Blaney, Founder, The Margaret Thatcher Centre
• Shannon Hale, Director, The Rule of Law Programme, The Margaret Thatcher Centre

Tickets: £25 (to include conference and drinks reception)

The conference will run from 2pm – 6.30pm, finishing with a 1 hour drinks reception until 7.30pm.

Attendance priority is given to existing supporters and past attendees at Margaret Thatcher Centre events.

Right of admission is reserved.

With enormous thanks to our event partners: