The second-highest judicial officer in the United Kingdom is to give the keynote address tomorrow at a conference organised by the Bermuda Bar Association.

Sir Geoffrey Vos is the Master of the Rolls, and the head of civil justice in the UK.

He will deliver the keynote “The Digital Age and its effect on Bench, Bar and Business”.

Conference organiser Jeffrey Elkinson of law firm Conyers said: “We have, in his historic role of Master of the Rolls, the head of the civil judiciary of England and Wales who believes that you have got to use the technology that is available for better courts for the ultimate benefit of those who have legal disputes. Part of that objective is the reduction of time which it takes and the cost.

“Sir Geoffrey supports the use of all the modern technology, not only so that courts operate better but that businesses also operate better with the ultimate goal of there being less disputes.”

The event, which is open to members of the Bar Association and the Judiciary, will have a series of panel discussions featuring a who’s who of the island’s legal fraternity.

Larry Mussenden, the Chief Justice, will be joined by Puisne Judge Shade Subair-Williams and Sir Geoffrey on the panel “The Judicial System, Past, Present and Future”.

Heads of firm will appear on the panel “The Law Practice”, speaking about how they run the practice in the context of the conference theme.

Panellists include Christian Luthi of Conyers, Michael Hanson of Carey Olsen, Kevin Taylor of Walkers, Katie Tornari of Marshall, Diel & Myers, and John Wasty of Appleby.

Sir John Swan, the former Premier of Bermuda, and former attorney-general Saul Froomkin will revisit the USA-Bermuda Tax Treaty, which they negotiated during the 1980s. Lawyer David Kessaram will talk about the litigation that arose around it.

Other panels will address issues related to trusts, insurance, fraud and related crimes, and crypto.

Dwayne and Wayne Caines are to act as panel moderators.