The Malaysian Bar’s International Malaysia Law Conference (“IMLC”) 2026 took place from 27 to 30 Oct 2026 at MITEC, Kuala Lumpur.
By Chong Jen Hui
The Closing Remarks were delivered by Marisa Regina, Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council International Malaysia Law Conference 2026 Organising Committee. She recalled that the conference had spanned the Opening Address by the Chief Justice of Malaysia, the Right Honourable Tun Wan Ahmad Farid b Wan Salleh; the Keynote Address by Lord David Neuberger of Abbotsbury; and the 7th Raja Aziz Addruse Memorial Lecture by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman; as well as four plenary sessions; 33 breakout sessions across three streams running simultaneously; three live podcasts; a Celebration Dinner; and a pickleball session. The organisers had the privilege of welcoming an exceptional line-up of legal minds, together with delegates from near and far, including Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. The sessions explored thought-provoking topics and generated lively discussion, frank exchanges, and questions from the floor. She noted that behind those three days lay a year of planning and countless emails, and that it had all been worth it.
She remarked that the theme of the conference, “Maintaining Core Principles in a Time of Change”, had given delegates much to reflect upon. In his Keynote Address, Lord David Neuberger of Abbotsbury had spoken of the political, environmental, and technological changes confronting the world today, and had emphasised that the rule of law depends on independent courts, access to justice, and lawyers who discharge their duties with honesty, competence, and courage. His reflections on artificial intelligence were timely, as technological progress must not come at the expense of an independent process. Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman’s lecture, in turn, had focused on whether the power to amend a constitution extends to altering its essential character. She observed that, whatever their differences, they shared a common commitment to upholding justice.
She then acknowledged the generosity, dedication, and goodwill of all who had contributed to the conference. She thanked the speakers, panellists and moderators, as well as the delegates for their support and participation, and hoped that they had benefited from the sessions and from the networking opportunities. She also thanked the sponsors and partners for believing in and supporting the Malaysian Bar’s flagship event. She expressed her gratitude to the Malaysian Bar Secretariat, which had organised the entire conference internally, from the first invitation to the final session, and to the media team. She further thanked her fellow members of the organising committee and the publications team for identifying speakers and for their ideas and support. Finally, she congratulated Gregory Das, Chairperson of the organising committee, for his attention to detail and dedication. The session concluded with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to Gregory Das and Marisa Regina.