2026 Silks Announced
16 October 2026The President and Council of the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o Te Ture congratulate the following on their appointment as King’s Counsel. We also acknowledge all those who applied for the rank. This year's applications showed the depth of talent at the Aotearoa New Zealand independent bar.
Read moreSentencing Advocacy Competition 2026
16 October 2026The 2026 Annual High Court Sentencing Competition final concluded with Spencer Withers named the winner and Abbey Smith the runner-up.
Justice Blanchard presided over the evening and questioned the finalists throughout their 20-minute submissions on the appropriate sentence for a single manslaughter charge. The finalists demonstrated their advocacy skills while presenting…
The Bar Association Welcomes New President Dr Simon Foote KC
01 October 2026The New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture welcomes our new President, Dr Simon Foote KC. Simon succeeds Paul David KC after a two-year term that saw our Association navigate a range of significant issues affecting both the bar and the wider justice system. Simon has been part…
Read moreMemorandum of Understanding
11 September 2026Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa | The Māori Law Society (THRMoA) and the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture (NZBA) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two associations. The MOU formalises a commitment by THRMoA and NZBA to…
Read moreConsultation on Proposed Changes to the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 - Survey Results
11 September 2026The New Zealand Law Society has released the results of its consultation on proposed changes to the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 and related regulations. While some proposals received support, the consultation produced mixed results overall, with significant concerns raised about several of the more far-reaching reforms.
Read moreAccess to Justice Winner 2026 Erin Ebborn
04 September 2026Erin Ebborn has been awarded the 2026 Access to Justice Award, sponsored by LexisNexis and the New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o Te Ture, in recognition of her longstanding commitment to legal aid and access to justice. The award recognises members of the legal profession who make an…
Read moreRule of Law Keynote | Roddy Dunlop KC
03 September 2026Address to the Bar Association of New Zealand: The Independence of the Legal Profession.
Friends and colleagues: it is a very great privilege to be here with you today. It is a great honour to be invited here to deliver my famous – some would even say legendary – talk on public…
How to Keep Your Business Moving When the Lights Go Out
27 August 2026Infrastructure failures can have an immediate impact on legal practice, whether caused by severe weather, internet or power outages, or transport disruptions. During the January 2026 storms, Tauranga Moana, where I live, was significantly affected. Roads were blocked for more than 24 hours, and power was out for nearly two…
Read moreAccess to Justice Five Years On
27 August 2026Frances Joychild KC was the inaugural winner of the LexisNexis New Zealand Bar Association Access to Justice Award in 2022. Here she writes on what is happening in the Access to Justice field today in civil law and makes two substantial recommendations for change. There has been much activity in…
Read moreIs word of mouth dying out?
27 August 2026For years, barristers have built practices through reputation. A solicitor recommends counsel, a colleague mentions a name, and good work leads to more work. That model has not disappeared. The better question is whether it now operates alone. The current evidence doesn’t say that word of mouth is dead. It does,…
Read moreInterim reinstatement and the new section 123C of the Employment Relations Act 2000
27 August 20262026 has seen the biggest changes in employment law since the introduction of the Employment Relations Act 26 years ago. Among those changes are a radical overhaul of remedies for personal grievances, making it more difficult for an employee to obtain remedies for personal grievances in numerous circumstances. One of…
Read moreBeyond “Be Careful” Josh McBride on Tautoru AI
27 August 2026Heard about Tautoru AI, but not quite sure what it is or why it matters? We spoke with barrister Josh McBride about the website he built, the problem it is trying to solve, and why lawyers need clearer guidance on using AI safely.
For barristers who haven’t come across Tautoru AI…