New Zealand hosts virtual meeting of the Quintet
The annual meeting of the five Attorneys-General from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States was held this year by video conference on 2 and 3 December 2021.
The annual meeting of the five Attorneys-General from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States was held this year by video conference on 2 and 3 December 2021.
Though it is the second time the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the Quintet from meeting in person, Attorneys-General were able to meet virtually to progress this important work.
The meeting, chaired by the Hon David Parker from New Zealand, brought together the Hon Michaelia Cash (Australia), the Hon David Lametti (Canada), the Hon Suella Braverman QC MP (England and Wales) and the Hon Merrick Garland (the United States of America) to discuss and share information about complex legal issues, in which they have a mutual interest.
Attorney General for England and Wales, the Rt. Hon. Suella Braverman QC MP, said:
It’s been an honour to meet my Quintet counterparts and discuss our shared goals to protect the safety of our citizens. We stand together in the face of challenges like the pandemic, terrorism and foreign interference, bound by a mutual respect for the rule of law.
The Attorneys-General discussed their respective institutions’ responses to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, ways to enhance cooperation to address foreign influence and foreign interference in democratic processes, and the approaches each country takes in seeking to prevent terrorist acts.
The Quintet Communiqué jointly issued at the conclusion of the meeting is available here: