Agricultural Law Association
Brian Inkster is a member of the Agricultural Law Association ('ALA').
ALA was founded in 1975 to provide a forum for professionals serving agriculture – lawyers, surveyors, accountants, bankers, farm business consultants and others – to support each other in their specialisms.
It is now the UK’s premier independent cross-disciplinary organisation dealing on an agenda-free, non-partisan, non-political basis with all matters arising in connection with rural business. The membership of over 1,100 includes some of the leading practitioners in rural affairs in the UK and Europe today.
ALA runs Day Conferences, usually but not exclusively in London, in which a more detailed analysis of technical matters is presented, often in open discussion, for the benefit of those more experienced practitioners. Regional meetings also take place regularly, providing similar dedicated discussion of germane practical subjects.
Through these regular national and regional gatherings, members can exchange views and experiences on technical matters, both legal and practical – especially benefiting those working either alone or in specialist departments of larger firms. In-depth analysis of current issues as well as updates on legislation and discussion of important recent cases appear in the ALA's quarterly Bulletin.
ALA is consulted by government on legislative and policy changes and, by maintaining its non-party political stance, provides impartial practical comment on proposed measures. It is also affiliated to the CEDR – the French acronym for the European Council for Rural Law – which is a body recognised on rural law by the European Commission, and provides members with a ready-made contact network throughout Europe, not just in the EU.