Association of Prison Lawyers Annual Conference 2026

When: Friday 30 January 2026 from 10:30 am to 18:00 pm 

Where: The conference will take place at Reed Smith, 1 Blossom Yard, London E1 6RS. The nearest rail and tube station is Liverpool Street, London

Cost of tickets: £150 for non-members; £100 for members (reduced to £70 for bookings of three or more from any one firm).

The conference fee includes refreshments.

The conference will cover essential prison law updates including:

• Parole Board update;
• Legal Aid updates;
• Case law updates;
• Managing public hearings and allegations;
• IPP update

See below for our agenda

If booking at the discounted members rate, please ensure you are a fully paid-up APL member.

Email administrator@associationofprisonlawyers.co.uk if you are unsure of your membership status. Click here to view membership eligibility, fees, and to apply for membership.

Agenda (subject to change)

10:30 to 11:00     Registration with Tea/Coffee

11:00 to 11:15     Welcome and Keynote speech

                               Laura Janes, Chair of APL and Sarah Sackman MP, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services

11:15 to 12:15     Parole Board update

                               Alexandra Marks (Chair of the Parole Board) and Cecilia French, (CEO of the Parole Board)

                               Chair: John Turner, Reece Thomas Watson

12:15 to 12:30     Break

12:30 to 13:00     Managing public hearings

                               Dean Kingham (Reece Thomas Watson) and Yasmin Karabasic (SL5)

13:00 to 13:30     Legal aid update

                               Matthew Doddridge (LAA) and Emma McClure (SL5)

                               Chair: Euan Edwards, The Johnson Partnership Solicitors

13:30 to 14:30     Lunch

14:30 to 15:15     Allegations training

                              Andrew Sperling (SL5) and Sally Middleton (Birnberg Peirce)

                              Chair: Stephanie Davin, Doughty Street Chambers

15:15 to 15:30    Tea

15:30 to 1630     Case law update

                              Hamish Arnott (Bhatt Murphy) and Stephen Tawiah (33 Bedford Row)

                               Chair Anna Spencer, Howard League for Penal Reform

16:30 to 1635     Comfort break

1635 to 1730      Progression for people on IPP sentences

                              David Bourne (HMPPS IPP Lead), Marc Conway (UNGRIPP) and Elizabeth Rantzen (Parole Board)

                               Chair - Laura Janes

1730 to 1830       Close