constitutional and administrative law bar association
about us - constitution
CONSTITUTION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW BAR ASSOCIATION
- The name of the Association shall be the Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association, to be known as “ALBA”.
- Membership of the Association shall be open to any Member of the Bar of England and Wales interested in Administrative Law and such persons who shall be appointed Honorary Members of the Committee. Associate Membership of the Association shall be open to any lawyer (other than a Member of the Bar) interested in Administrative Law.
- The objects of the Association shall be:
i. to provide a forum for discussion of common interests among its Members;
ii. to ascertain and represent the views of its Members on matters relating to and affecting their professional interests;
iii. to protect and promote the efficiency of Courts, Tribunals and Inquiries hearing cases involving Administrative Law;
iv. to further the study, understanding and development of Administrative Law;
v. to do any act or acts in furtherance of the foregoing objects or ancillary thereto. - The administration of the Association shall be conducted by a Committee, all of whom shall be Members of the Association.
- There shall be a President and Vice-Presidents of the Association who shall be appointed by the Committee.
- The membership of the Committee (who, subject to paragraph 6(iii)and (iv), shall
be elected) shall be as follows:
i. Five officers, namely Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary and Membership Secretary, of whom the Chair shall be Queen's Counsel. The officers shall hold office for two years, with the possibility of renewal;
ii. Up to thirteen other elected Members;
iii. Not more than three Members co-opted by the Committee.
ii. Up to thirteen other elected Members;
iv. One member from each Circuit to be nominated by the leader of the relevant Circuit and notified in writing to the Chair of the Association. - No person shall be a member of the Committee for more than three years without renewal of their mandate. One third of the elected Members of the Committee shall retire each Annual General Meeting. Elections shall be by ballot of all Members present at the Annual General Meeting. Each candidate for election shall be proposed and seconded by Members of the Association. In the event of a contested election there shall be a postal ballot of the entire membership conducted within two weeks of the meeting. Co-options shall be for a maximum period of one year and may be renewed. Any problem relating to the interpretation of this clause is to be settled by the Chair of the Association whose decision is to be final.
- The Officers shall be elected by the Committee. The Committee shall also appoint a member to represent the Association on the Bar Council.
- The Committee may determine its business and procedure at its discretion. A quorum for a committee meeting shall be the Chair (or his/her designate) and three other members.
- An Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held each year in either October or November. The Committee may (and if requested by at least twelve members of the Association shall) call a General Meeting at any time (other than during Vacation). Notice of fourteen days shall be given of any General Meeting. A quorum for a General Meeting shall be thirty Members.
- The Constitution of the Association may be altered by resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting at any General Meeting. Notice of fourteen days shall be given of any proposal to make such an alteration.
- The Chair of any Meeting shall have a casting vote.
- Associate Members shall be entitled to participate in all activities of the Association save that they shall not enjoy any voting rights whatsoever or be eligible for election to the Committee or office.
- Each Member of the Association shall as a condition of membership pay insofar as required an annual subscription. The Association may by resolution in General Meeting determine categories of Member and Associate Member, and the rates of subscription (if any) payable by persons within such categories. Such resolution may also delegate to the Committee the power (i) to offer a membership fee rebate, or to impose an additional fee, conditional upon the means by which the subscription is to be paid, and (ii) to offer a reduced or no fee to any category of Member for a limited introductory period. Subscriptions shall be paid on or before 1st October each year. Any Member whose subscription is more than three months in arrears shall automatically cease to be a Member, but shall be reinstated forthwith upon payment.
- The Committee shall have power to remove any Member from Membership of the Association if it considers it in the interests of the Association to do so.
June 1986
Amended November 1986
Re-amended January 1987
Further Amended March 2000
Further Amended November 2001
Further Amended November 2007
Further Amended November 2008
membership
The work that we do is dependent on the support of our Members. This support enables us to continue to organise events and meetings aimed at promoting knowledge in the field of public law and to remain actively involved in current developments in constitutional and administrative law.