The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Cindy Clarke, led a small team to London to participate in the International Association of Prosecutors’ (IAP) Annual General Conference, held from September 24-27, under the theme “The Changing Nature of Crime in the 21st Century: Challenges and Responses”. There were over 500 attendees, with 70 countries represented.
The Annual General Conference allows prosecutors to interact with colleagues from all parts of the world to enhance operational efficiency in the creation of networks and the exchange of information, which is particularly important to optimize the mutual legal assistance component in cross-border prosecutions.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cindy Clarke, expressed her satisfaction with the warm reception that the Bermuda delegation received. Ms. Clarke said, “We were pleased with the invitation to serve as moderators and panellists for several sessions. There is every reason to expect that Bermuda will continue her long-standing and successful involvement with her international partners with the acknowledged mutual goal of strategic development.”
This year, the DPP chaired the opening plenary session, which covered topics relevant to the re-evaluation of the organizational structure of prosecution agencies. Plenary meetings account for thematic study of topics relevant to different jurisdictions and workshops allow for closer interactions on topics of professional interest in the theme. It saw six speakers sharing expertise in the efficient allocation of resources to management.
Crown Counsel Adley Duncan delivered a presentation on the topic of neutralizing artificial intelligence-related risks in the presentation of trial evidence. Junior Crown Counsel Paul Wilson chaired a workshop on data encryption, which included speakers from Australia, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands. Each day of the conference had approximately six sessions, and members of the Bermuda delegation proactively engaged with speakers and participants with a view to evaluating operational successes and interrogating their suitability for local adaptation.