Welcome to IALL’s 44th Annual Course
Presented by the Squire Law Library at the University of Cambridge
13 – 16 September 2026
Welcome to the historic city of Cambridge in England, located on the River Cam. Cambridge is just 50 minutes train ride from London and situated in the east of England. The history of Cambridge stretches far back to the Bronze Age and forwards, as a trading centre, to the Roman and Viking periods and then as a strategically important place for the Normans. Today, it is possible to sense the depth of history by ambling through the medieval streets of this small city surrounded by an abundance of old buildings or by taking a punt on the River Cam, along the ‘Backs’, with its many historic bridges.
Welcome, too, to the collegiate University of Cambridge, founded in the year 1209. It is the world’s third oldest university in continuous use. It has 31 autonomous colleges, the oldest being Peterhouse which was founded in 1284. Among the historic colleges there is King’s College, with its famous Chapel, Trinity College with the Wren Library, and St John’s College where the IALL Annual Dinner will take place in its atmospheric 16th century dining hall. Several of these older colleges line the banks of the River Cam (literally, the ‘Backs’ of the colleges). The conference programme will take place in the modern, dedicated conference facilities attached to Jesus College; the college itself dates back to 1496.
The city and the University are intertwined in the best ‘town and gown’ tradition. Cambridge is very much an academic city; a student town; it is also a destination for tourists and a great venue for conferences!
The University of Cambridge is a place of learning and a centre for world-leading research. It is a place of colleges, museums, gardens, churches and chapels. It is also a place of many libraries, ancient and modern – the Squire Law Library among them! The Squire was established in 1904 but is now housed, together with the Faculty of Law, in a contemporary design created by world famous architects, Fosters + Partners.
For IALL 2026 the Annual Course will aim to address various public law issues, in particular, recent constitutional developments in the UK, notably with reference to the Brexit referendum of 2016. It will also look further afield to a number of wider, current issues in European and international law. The programme will also explore themes relating to libraries, legal information and the impact of artificial intelligence. There will be opportunities to visit historic libraries including the University Library, one of the great research collections of the world. The optional day (on Thursday 17 September) will offer delegates a visit to the nearby City of Ely, the location of one of England’s finest cathedrals, the origins of which can be traced back to the year 672.
If you have any questions, please contact the local planning committee at IALL26@law.cam.ac.uk
We look forward to welcoming you to Cambridge in September 2026.
More information about IALL 2026 in Cambridge, including registrations, will be posted very soon.