LONDON — The International Conference of Legal Regulators 2026 opened Monday in London, drawing 129 delegates, including government officials, legal regulators, practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders in the administration of justice, from more than 20 jurisdictions.
Themed “Mind the Gap”, the three-day conference, running through Wednesday, will examine whether regulatory frameworks can keep pace with rapid technological changes, evolving business models and the expanding use of artificial intelligence in legal services.
In opening remarks, Monisha Shah, chair of the Legal Services Board of England and Wales, emphasized the role of regulation in maintaining public confidence, supporting access to justice and keeping legal services responsive to society’s needs.
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Hong Kong’s Law Society, which hosted the conference for the first time in 2025, sent a delegation led by its president, Roden Tong.
Tong joined a roundtable chaired by Richard Orpin, CEO of the Legal Services Board, on whether regulation should target markets, law firms, individual practitioners or legal activities.
He urged risk-based, evidence-based, and proportionate regulation anchored in the public interest, professional standards, and public confidence — drawing on Hong Kong’s experience in professional conduct regulation, anti-money laundering supervision, the Professional Indemnity Scheme, and safeguards against unregulated practice.
Tong said core professional values — integrity, competence, independence, confidentiality, and accountability — must guide modern regulatory frameworks amid innovation.
Later sessions will cover topics including external capital and third-party funding, cyber risk, AI in complaints handling, legal education reform, mental health and cross-border qualification recognition.
The Law Society’s Director of Conduct Vivian Yim will examine when delegating legal work to unqualified staff crosses from supervision into professional misconduct.
