The African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery and Sustainable Development joined over 530 delegates from 42 jurisdictions at the 24th Commonwealth Law Conference (CLC) held in St Julian’s Bay, Malta. The biennial event, convened by the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA), took place under the theme “Commonwealth Lawyers – Fit for the Future”, spotlighting the evolving role of legal professionals in upholding the rule of law, democracy, and justice across the Commonwealth.
The prestigious five-day conference attracted over 250 speakers and featured 76 sessions covering key thematic areas including human rights, the rule of law, corporate and commercial practice, the judiciary, and contemporary legal challenges. Pre-conference events included a Family Law Symposium, Young Lawyers Programme, and a Bar Leaders’ Summit.
The opening ceremony of the conference was marked by the presence of several high-profile dignitaries who delivered keynote addresses and goodwill messages. Among them were Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta; Steven Thiru, President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA); and Peter D. Maynard KC, Chairman of the Commonwealth Law Conference 2025. Also addressing the gathering were Giannino Caruana Demajo, representing the Chief Justice of Malta; Honourable Jonathan Attard, Malta’s Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector; Victoria Buttigieg, Attorney General of Malta; and Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
President Spiteri Debono emphasized the shared vision of democracy, rights, and justice that binds Commonwealth nations. She urged lawyers to be at the forefront of legal reforms and innovations that ensure human dignity, social harmony, and sustainable development.
The African Center was ably represented by its Executive Director, Madam Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, who contributed to four key sessions:
- Family Law Symposium – Co-hosted by the CLA Family Law Committee, IAFL, and FLBA. Madam Ibekaku-Nwagwu participated in the “Asset Recovery, Enforcement & Sanctions” panel moderated by William Longrigg, alongside Zoe Saunders, Stephen Baker, and Lloyd DeVincenzi. The session explored cross-border enforcement of court orders, sanctions regimes, and asset tracing mechanisms.
- Plenary Panel D1: Combatting Transnational Organised Crime in the Commonwealth – Madam Ibekaku-Nwagwu chaired the session featuring panelists such as Richard Salter KC, Loretta Joseph (Commonwealth Secretariat advisor), and EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede. Discussions addressed modern slavery, cryptocurrency regulation, terrorism financing, and FATF compliance challenges.
- CLA Anticorruption Subcommittee AML Review – A focused lunch session reviewing AML compliance in the legal profession. Panellists included Quinton Newcomb (Field Fisher, London), Steven Hill (IIJ), and Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph (Chair, Commonwealth Association of Integrity Commissions). The session emphasized practical AML/CFT compliance approaches for legal practitioners.
- Panel D7: Tackling Transnational Corruption – From Theory to Practice – Featuring panelists such as Stephen Baker, Adam Riley, and Ruggles Ferguson, this session examined progress on UNCAC implementation, beneficial ownership transparency, and best practices in asset recovery and proceeds of crime management.
The conference concluded with reflections on judicial independence, democracy, artificial intelligence in legal systems, and the reaffirmation of the Commonwealth Charter. Notably, the Rule of Law Award was presented to Faith Odhiambo, President of the Law Society of Kenya, as the conference unveiled the venue for the next edition.
The African Center leveraged the conference to engage key stakeholders for future collaborations, including:
- Mr. Roland Abeng (Cameroon), legal consultant with expertise in anti-corruption, AML/CTF, and ESG compliance. Proposed as an international consultant for Center-led AML/CFT projects.
- Prof. Kofi Abotsi (Ghana), Managing Partner, Axis Legal, with extensive governance experience and an IMF consultancy background.
- Christian Wisskirchen, an international consultant with experience in human rights and legal development with the UN and UK legal institutions.
Additionally, Madam Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu engaged in strategic discussions that could yield impactful partnerships for the African Center. She met with Mr. Andrew Mukite Musangi, Chairman of the Central Bank of Kenya, to explore compliance-focused collaborations tailored to the needs of the Global South. She also held conversations with Natasha Ali Errey, Chairperson of the Mombasa Law Society, and Mr. Ramadhan Abubakar, President of the East Africa Law Society, on potential collaboration around AML/CFT risk assessment and capacity-building initiatives in East Africa.
One key observation was the high level of time efficiency, with sessions marked by strong time management and speaker discipline. This served as a useful model for the Center in organizing its future events.
The conference also provided excellent networking opportunities, creating space to forge and strengthen relationships with justice sector stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.
Importantly, the relevance of topics—particularly the convergence of law, technology, finance, and governance- resonated deeply with the Center’s ongoing work to enhance anti-corruption mechanisms and asset recovery frameworks. As such, the African Center remains committed to engaging with high-level platforms like the Commonwealth Law Conference to drive evidence-based policymaking, support legal and institutional reforms, and promote good governance and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.
