The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute invites you to:

A Panel Discussion on

The Independence of Lawyers in China Wednesday 10 November 2010, 5:30 – 7:30 pm University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, Lecture Theatre 1 Followed by a wine reception Supported by the Open Society Initiative

Chinese lawyers continue to face numerous obstacles to the exercise of their profession today, most notably insufficient independence from the government. Only a small minority of lawyers in China become involved with civil and political rights or broader public interest cases, and they are increasingly the targets of intimidation. The need for judicial reform is another factor affecting both the legal profession and access to justice for the Chinese population. The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) invites you to hear a panel of experts discuss these important issues. The panel includes Professor He Weifang, law professor at Beijing University who is a strong advocate of Chinese judicial reform and Mo Shaoping, a Beijing-based lawyer who represented 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Professor Fu Hualing has written on the challenges faced by the legal profession in China and teaches on human rights in China, while Professor Jerome Cohen has advocated for human rights and legal reform in the country for many years. Chair Dr Kerry Brown  Senior Fellow, Asia Programme, Chatham House Speakers Professor He Weifang  Law Professor, Beijing University Mo Shaoping  Lawyer, Beijing Professor Fu Hualing  Law Professor, University of Hong Kong Professor Jerome Cohen  Law Professor, New York University (via videoconference link)

RSVP Attendance is free but registration is essential. Please send the names of all attendees to [email protected] by 5 pm Monday 8 November 2010. Simultaneous interpretation from Mandarin to English will be offered. When registering, please indicate whether you require translation headsets or not.