Leading UK judge to present annual law lecture

Sir Nicholas Wall, President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, will speak at the annual lecture which commemorates the Pilgrim Fathers voyage to America in 1620 and traditionally embodied themes of freedom and human rights.

He is the latest in a long list of distinguished members of the legal profession to present the Pilgrim Fathers Lecture which this year marks its 18th anniversary.

His talk will focus on the future of Family Law after the publication of the controversial Norgrove report on family justice.

Plymouth Law Society President, Jonathan Madge, said: “It is our great privilege to welcome Sir Nicholas Wall. He will be uniquely placed to provide a detailed insight into the future of family justice following the publication of the Family Justice Review lead by David Norgrove, which has set out a wide ranging set of reforms to improve family justice but has caused considerable controversy amongst rights campaigners like Fathers for Justice.”

The lecture, organised by the Plymouth Law Society and hosted by Plymouth University, has become a celebrated annual event in the legal profession calendar, attracting current and past Lord Chancellors, Lord Justices of Appeal and Lords of Appeal. This year the lecture forms part of a year-round celebration of prestigious activities marking the University’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the School of Navigation.

Professor Simon Payne, Head of Plymouth Law School at Plymouth University, said: “It has an impressive record of attracting the highest-profile members of the legal profession. Sir Nicholas Wall will continue this proud tradition and will be an excellent speaker on a very topical subject.”

It starts at 6.30pm on Friday 25 November 2011 in the Robbins Conference Centre, Plymouth University.

The lecture is open to the public and tickets are priced at £13. or to book a place, the Plymouth Law Society on 01752 674999.

Alumni of Plymouth University are eligible to register for free tickets by calling 01752 585800 or emailing alumni [a] plymouth.ac (p) uk

ENDS