The launch of Garden Court Chambers’ Anti-Trafficking Team was marked last week by a conference on modern slavery.
Attended by experts from across field, the conference featured barristers from the Crime Team, Immigration Team and Public and Administrative Law Team, all of whom focus on human trafficking within their different areas of work.
The day kicked off with opening remarks from Stephen Knafler QC who highlighted that the existence of human trafficking demonstrates the great inequalities that still exist in societies across the world, including our own. Throughout the day, speakers examined the significant milestones in this area of law and delegates engaged in lively debate about the work that can be done to prevent trafficking, to protect those vulnerable to its forces and to care for its victims.
Practitioners addressed a wide variety of issues, including trafficking as an immigration issue, accessing support for children and adult victims of trafficking and the criminalisation of victims of trafficking. The scope and nature of the investigative duties of the state to identify and protect victims was also one of the central topics covered. The day concluded with a panel discussion on the Modern Slavery Bill as Garden Court practitioners, joined by Chloe Setter of ECPAT UK, explored their concerns about the Bill and the way in which it will shape the future fight against trafficking.
The day’s conversations were greatly enriched by those in attendance. This included individuals from Amnesty UK, The Helen Bamber Foundation, Barnado’s, UNICEF UK, Anti-Slavery International, as well as leading law firms in the field.
The sharing of expertise between delegates and speakers marked an exciting beginning of our Anti-Trafficking Team and its relationship with experts who carry out vital work within this field, in many different capacities.
The following practitioners were involved in talks throughout the day: Stephen Knafler QC, Kathryn Cronin, Nadine Finch, Maya Sikand, Michelle Brewer, Ronan Toal, Paramjit Ahluwalia and Shu Shin Luh.
