The 37th LAWASIA Conference 2024 is taking place from 13 to 15 Oct 2024 at Hilton Kuala Lumpur.
by Voon Su Huei, member of the Bar Council Publications Committee
The 37th LAWASIA Conference commenced in Hilton Kuala Lumpur on 13 Oct 2024, and has attracted members of the legal profession from more than 30 countries. The Conference is themed “Navigating the Legal Landscape in the Digital Age” and will end on 15 Oct 2024.
Shyam Divan, President of LAWASIA, presented the Welcome Remarks at the Opening Ceremony, noting that the Conference has returned to Kuala Lumpur after a gap of 16 years. Shyam Divan delivered a pithy address on the strength of human bonds. He cited the late Fali S Nariman, an eminent Indian Jurist and constitutional expert, reminding the audience that a constitution does not survive because of its contents, but by the spirit of constitutionalism among people that keeps it alive.
The President of the Malaysian Bar, Mohamad Ezri b Abdul Wahab, then delivered his Introductory Remarks. Mohamad Ezri’s speech held out hope for the future — in a sea of technological advancements, he urged the audience to explore what lies beyond the horizon, in law and in life. He posed several questions to the audience: Are we evolving fast enough to keep up? How do we navigate this brave new world?
The audience was asked to adopt a broader view of change — it is not just about being tech-savvy, but about empowering lawyers to enhance their practice and services to society; it is not about chasing trends, but ensuring that the intersection of law and technology leads to better outcomes to all, where no one is left behind. Mohamad Ezri envisaged a new path forward where human insight remains the guiding light.
The Right Honourable Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat, then delivered Her Ladyship’s Opening Address. Her Ladyship noted the revolutionary impact of generative artificial intelligence on the work of lawyers. While acknowledging that generative artificial intelligence has led to a slow and steady displacement of human resources, Her Ladyship opined that this does not completely apply to lawyers as long as crucial skills like critical thinking, clear and compassionate communication, as well as strategy-building, are honed.
In another vein, Her Ladyship highlighted the importance of ensuring equality of all before the law, where such cases are treated alike to enhance fairness in sentencing. In this regard, the Right Honourable Tun Tengku Maimun expressed her view that while artificial intelligence can reduce human error in some instances, judges nonetheless retain discretion. Her Ladyship also called for laws to reflect changes in technology and for judges to develop working knowledge against the current technological landscape to ensure justice is done in modern disputes like Blockchain matters. In this rapidly changing legal landscape, Her Ladyship concluded with an important message that it remains the sacred duty of judges and lawyers to continuously uphold the rule of law and ensure that the independence of the judiciary is maintained.
Last but not least, the Keynote Address of the Opening Ceremony was delivered by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Right Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. As expressed by the Chief Justice, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the rule and law and independence of the judiciary to ensure justice is upheld without fear or favour.
In his address, the Prime Minister raised the concern of whether artificial intelligence is serving all levels of the community fairly, noting that artificial intelligence is devoid of faith and values, and is dependent on the design input supplied to it. The Prime Minister called for efforts to ensure that innovation goes hand-in-hand with justice and equity, such that there is a democratised access to quality technology.
As digital trade continues to expand, the Prime Minister believes that it is crucial to develop regular and robust frameworks to facilitate this. The Prime Minister ended the Keynote Address by calling upon members of the legal profession to engage in dialogues to enhance shared values and diverse perspectives to navigate this digital age.