Suchergebnisse

In a modern, civilized, democratic and political state like India, it is the law of the laws – the Constitution of India – which has conferred freedom on us and the right to live with human dignity and conscience. The constitution's widespread and deeply pervasive network of laws leaves hardly any human activity outside its net which is not governed by some law or the other. Birth, death and marriage have to be registered. There are laws on how to move or drive on the road, how to travel, where to smoke or not to smoke, what to eat and what not to eat, where to go and where to refrain from going and so on. The air that we breathe, the water that we drink, the food that we eat, and the house in which we live are all governed by law. From a little child purchasing an eraser or a pencil, to an adult travelling by air within or outside the country – all are subject to the law. Law determines the boundaries of human behavior which determines the limits of transgression as well as compliance. Everyone is supposed to know the law and the ignorance of law does not excuse anyone. So pervasive, complex and fast changing are the laws that a car bumper reads "Do it today, tomorrow it may be illegal," such is the pace of today's growth and evolution of the law.

This panel touched upon the challenges that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brought to the international legal profession and explored opportunities for new professionals. The focus lay on practical suggestions for topics to look out for in the near future.

The General Agreement on Trade in Service calls for members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to further liberalize and expand opportunities for international trade in services. With legal services included in this mandate, requests for specific commitments and offers have been made by WTO Member States. While services as components of international trade is new to many of the WTO Member States, free movement of services has been addressed by the European Union (EU) since the inception of the European Economic Community. Thus EU directives, declarations, codes and case law serve as valuable resources to WTO Member States as they seek to liberalize the provision of legal services. Within the EU, lawyers from EU Member States can work temporarily or permanently in another EU Member State by complying with the provisions of the Lawyers' Services Directive or the Lawyers' Establishment Directive. The EU, however, proposes handling cross-border practice with lawyers from non-EU Member states who are WTO members through Foreign Legal Consultant recognition, something considerably more restrictive than what is accorded lawyers from EU Member States. In that the EU is looked to as a leader in facilitating the provision of legal services, it seems the EU is missing an opportunity to shape the globabilization of the legal profession by further expanding liberalization opportunities for international trade in legal services.