On 9 September 2025, the Firm’s Managing Partner, Mr Steven Thiru, as President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) moderated a webinar titled “Voices Under Pressure: Defending Freedom of Expression for Lawyers and Journalists” organised by the CLA and its partners, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the Law Society of England and Wales.
Amongst others, the webinar explored how legal frameworks and disciplinary measures are weaponised to silence lawyers and journalists around the world.
The panel featured the following distinguished speakers:
- Dr. Debra Long (International Policy Manager for Rule of Law and Human Rights at the Law Society of England and Wales)
- Sneh Aurora (Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative)
- Kevin Yam (Law Academic Associate and PhD Candidate, Melbourne Law School)
- Neha Dixit (Independent Journalist and Author, New Delhi)
- William Horsley (Former BBC Foreign Correspondent, and Representative of the Commonwealth Journalists Association)
The webinar concluded with a closing address by Margaret Satterthwaite (the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers).
A recording of the webinar is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBqjvS5nP30
The Firm is proud to contribute to this important dialogue, reinforcing its commitment to the protection of fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.