Bilateral visit between The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Conseil d’Ètat
Sunday 28 November 2021 – Monday 29 November 2021
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was deeply honoured to welcome the Conseil d’Ètat to the Court's building on Parliament Square earlier this week for a fruitful exchange of knowledge and views on key topics of interest.
The first session, led by Lord Hamblen, Lord Lloyd-Jones and Yves Gounin concerned the ‘Coronavirus Crisis & Administrative Justice.’ The justices discussed the enduring principles of the Rule of Law and legal issues that have arisen during the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic.
The second session was on virtual justice, and was led by Lord Briggs and Bénédicte Fauvarque–Cosson. It touched on matters such as the development of digital justice and the online court.
The final session at the Court, led by Lady Arden, Lord Leggatt and Yves Doutriaux, considered the ‘Immigration Justice System & Recent Jurisprudence’. This comparative discussion looked particularly at refugee status determination.
Following the day's discussions, justices from the Supreme Court were delighted to attend a conference on ‘The Rule of Law & Covid–19’ hosted most warmly by the Vice President Lasserre and Her Excellency Catherine Colonna at the Résidence de France.
This bilateral event is part of a long–lasting tradition between the Supreme Court and the Conseil d'Ètat. For more than 30 years, members of the courts have regularly visited one another in Paris and London, sharing views, analysis and expertise on their jurisprudence and the issues and challenges they have encountered, be they legal, political or social. This exemplifies a shared conviction that cooperation between our two justice systems remains beneficial and necessary.
Lord Reed, President of the Supreme Court, said:
“It was a pleasure and an honour to host the Conseil d´Ètat at the Court for the series of stimulating sessions on the law and jurisprudence. The strength and depth of the relationship between the two countries on judicial matters has only been enhanced further by this high-quality, meaningful exchange of ideas. We look forward to repeating this event in due course.”
Vice President of the Conseil d’Ètat, Bruno Lasserre, added:
“The relationship between the Supreme Court and the Conseil d´Ètat is long-standing. Over the decades, we have established a substantive and fruitful dialogue. The friendship and mutual understanding that characterize our discussions are invaluable and help us look afresh at our jurisprudence and how we respond to the major challenges of the time.”