IBA Toronto – what you may have missed or would like to see again from the 2025 Annual Conference

The Monday to Thursday Showcase sessions at this year’s Conference covered a range of topics, including: advancing LGBTQIA+ equality around the world; threats to the independence of the media and increased attacks against journalists; the growing provision of traditional legal services by non-lawyers and the evolution of the profession; and the role of lawyers in using legal procedures to broker peace talks and bring war crimes to justice. At the below links, video footage can be viewed of all the Showcase sessions from the IBA constituents – the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Legal Practice Division (LPD), the Bar Issues Commission (BIC) and the Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI).

Joining IBA Executive Director Dr Mark Ellis in conversation during the lunch breaks were Sir Bill Browder KCMG, British financier, political activist and Head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign; Bob Woodward, the internationally renowned journalist who, alongside Carl Bernstein, uncovered the Watergate scandal in the United States in 1973; and a panel of leading American and Canadian legal experts including John Bellinger III, former Legal Adviser for the US Department of State; Irwin Cotler, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights; Alberto Mora, Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights Policy; Judge Kimberly Prost, International Criminal Court; Michael Scharf, former Attorney-Advisor for the US Department of State; and Beth Van Schaack, Center for Human Rights and International Justice. Watch the 2025 A conversation with… series at the below links.

Generously supported by LexisNexis each year, the IBA presents awards to legal practitioners who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the respective fields of human rights or pro bono. A third award is given to a young lawyer who has shown excellence in their career and dedication to the community at large. The 2025 awardees are:

The event brought together 5,500 attendees from 130 jurisdictions across the world to share knowledge and best practices; renew connections and make new ones and gain insights into topical issues affecting the legal profession. Over 2,700 law firms, corporations, governments and regulators were represented at the Conference.

Next stop…
The 2026 IBA Annual Conference will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Bella Center from 4–9 October. Register your interest here. In a video message, Mr Carey wished IBA President-Elect, Claudio Visco, great success with the event.