On 26th June 2007, the A4ID Board of Trustees had the honour of collecting The Lawyer Pro Bono Team of the Year Award 2007.

This is a credit to all of our members and supporters who have worked so hard since the launch to build A4ID as an organisation and to develop the range of opportunities that we offer both to our partners and to our members. Thank you again for your support.

A great evening was had by all - as they say, a picture speaks a thousand words…

Josh Kern, a trainee solicitor at Herbert Smith and member of the A4ID Trade & Investment Group, tells us about his experiences at the final residential weekend of the 2006/07 A4ID Law & International Development Training Programme:

"The A4ID Law and International Development Training Programme concluded in Manchester on the weekend of 2 and 3 June. More than 30 A4ID members representing firms, NGOs, and the academic community gathered to further education, engage with colleagues from all of the working groups and enjoy some splendid Mancunian sunshine.

The weekend’s seminars covered ground ranging from the political economy of Uganda to the rights of women in Iran. It was the final set of lectures, Q&A discussions, member presentations and round tables in a series organised by A4ID that began in September 2006."

The 2007-2008 A4ID law & International Development Training Programme begins in October 2007. Please contact info@a4id.org if you are interested in reserving a place.

INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS – CONFERENCE IN CHILE

On 28th June lawyers from governments across Latin America joined together to share their experiences of the impact of international investment agreements on their countries as well as to learn more about their negotiation and the management of disputes.

This eight day course co-designed by A4ID, the International Institute of Sustainable Development, Centre for International Environment Law, Agua Sustenable, the Forum for Democracy & Trade and the UN Economic Commission on Latin America, is the first part of a programme designed to create a network amongst Latin American governments, NGOs and private sector lawyers. It aims not just to provide short term training but also to be a key component in larger scale capacity building in the region.

Participants had a heavy schedule of sessions led by lawyers from a range of international firms and members of the NGO community. There was also a strong focus on audience participation with a number of countries sharing experiences and criticisms of the current international system.

The programme restarts on 13th August when the focus will be on dispute resolution. A4ID would like to extend its thanks to the lawyers from member firms who have expressed interest in supporting this work.

100 WORDS ON … SHARI'A LAW

The philosophy and religion of Islam are currently particularly topical. Besides the political attention attached to Islamic states and the high economic appeal for investment and business, international lawyers are increasingly required to be educated, informed or at least aware of Islamic law.

Islamic law or Sharia, as it is commonly known, is the legal framework which regulates the public and private aspects of life in some Muslim countries.  It impacts upon the lives of approximately 1 billion people.  As a result of international campaigns on discrimination, Sharia has become known for the effect that it has on personal status laws, such as family law, inheritance law, as well as on social measures. However, the scope of Sharia is much broader, impacting upon many aspects of life such as economics, finances and business; contracts, investments and property. Sharia also adjusts inter-state relations, known as as-siyar.

The main sources of Sharia are the Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (hadith), supplemented by a vast number of other sources based on interpretation and precedent.

Considering the number of Muslims throughout the globe and the fact that the implementation of Sharia is not coherent, the definition of Sharia given above may appear naïve. The author has not attempted to explain in a few words what centuries of debates have tried to define, interpret  and implement. The intention was more to provide for a short introductory definition of Sharia.

Aphrodite Smagadi lectures at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London.

Many thanks to Priya Rathor and Graeme Howlett for their help with the A4ID newsletters.