From 6 to 9 April, Pascal Eydoux, president of the French National Bar Council, Pascale Modelski, former vice-president of the French National Bar Council, and Philippe-Henri Dutheil, president of the European and International Bar Council went to Auckland to take part in the 27th Annual Meeting and Conference of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA).
For several years now, the French National Bar Council has taken part in this event which brings together both ordinal, national, and local institutions, and lawyers from the pacific region.
As is customary when travelling abroad, the French National Bar Council held discussions (by telephone) with Her Excellency the Ambassador of France to New Zealand, Ms. Florence Jeanblanc-Risler. This meeting made it possible to broach various subjects, such as the region’s major economic issues, the strengthening of continental law, Brexit, and France’s presence in the pacific area.
Pascal Eydoux and Philippe-Henri Dutheil in a telephone meeting with the Ambassador of France in New Zealand
We may recall that France is present in the region, notably via the Bars of Papeete and Nouméa. The Bar Presidents and other representatives of the Bars of New Caledonia and Papeete responded to the call of President Eydoux to marshal French lawyers and strengthen their presence in the region and their attendance at international meetings, and came to join the French National Bar Council’s delegation.
The French delegation to the IPBA’s Conference
The subject of the conference, “Connectivity & Convergence”, highlighted technological advances which are accelerating the current legal services system and the legal profession. Consequently, the central focus of discussions was the need to converge and to harmonise legislation and cross-border procedures in this highly developed economic area.
