Nominations Open for Access to Justice Award 2026
28 July 2026The Bar Association and LexisNexis are pleased to open nominations for the 2026 Access to Justice Award. We now invite nominations for the 2026 award. You can nominate a colleague or yourself for this award. It is open to all New Zealand barristers sole, barristers and solicitors, academics, and law students.…
Read moreLaw Commission reports on hate crime offences
24 July 2026Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission reviewed the law relating to hate crime, with a focus on whether the law should be changed to create standalone hate crime offences.
The Commission’s Final Report concluded that the current legal model, which takes hostile motivation into account at sentencing, remains…
Court-Appointed Counsel Remuneration Review Highlights Significant Concerns
17 July 2026The Ministry of Justice conducted a targeted survey of lawyers acting in court-appointed counsel roles to better understand the workload, challenges and sustainability of these appointments across New Zealand.
The survey was open from 9 October to 28 November 2025 and received 269 responses from practitioners serving as Lawyers for Child,…
King's Birthday Honours 2026
05 June 2026The New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture congratulates those who were recognised in the recent King’s Birthday Honours for their contributions to the law, the judiciary and the community.
Dr Jim Farmer CNZM KC, Companion of the Order of Merit. The Bar Association warmly congratulates Dr Jim…
The 2026 Budget and the legal sector
29 May 2026Budget 2026, delivered by the Hon Nicola Willis on 28 May 2026, includes several measures relating to legal aid, court infrastructure and justice system resourcing. Time-limited funding of $30.28 million has been allocated in 2026/27 for legal aid to meet ongoing demand and costs while the Accessible and Affordable Justice…
Read moreBar Association warns of growing risks to rule of law
27 May 2026The Bar Association is urging the Government to reconsider proposed legislation by taking a broader view of long-term effects of making such retrospective laws.
The Government has said that it intends to introduce legislation to prevent the courts from deciding claims for climate change damages. If enacted this legislation will…
King's Counsel Round 2026
08 May 2026Attorney-General Hon Chris Bishop announced today that an appointment round for King’s Counsel will take place in 2026. Applications for appointment as King’s Counsel open on 25 May 2026. Applicants must use the application form which should be sent electronically to the Crown Law Office no later than 22 June 2026.…
Read moreEmployment Relations Act Amendment
23 April 2026On 21 February 2026, the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2025 came into force, bringing significant changes to collective bargaining obligations, worker classification, remedies for personal grievances, and loss of personal grievances for high income earners. This update outlines the key features of the Act.
Read moreWelcome legal reforms in the family violence space
22 April 2026In recent times, there have been some significant statutory strides taken in the family violence space to better protect victims. The purpose of this article is to summarise the key features of four pieces of legislation which have recently or will soon come into force, and which family law practitioners should…
Read moreKeeping your Private Life Private
09 April 2026As a private investigator, I am often asked to find people for my clients. It may be to serve a document on that person, perhaps they have skipped town after emptying their employers’ till, or maybe the client has lost touch with someone and wants to reconnect.
Whatever the circumstances, one…
IBA report calls for urgent reforms to support women in the legal profession
20 March 2026A new International Bar Association (IBA) report has identified persistent structural barriers preventing women lawyers from progressing into senior leadership roles, despite increased awareness and diversity initiatives across the profession. The Raising the Bar: Women in Law – Phase 2 Report draws on a global survey of 5,000 women lawyers…
Read moreInternational Women’s Day
06 March 2026On Sunday 8 March we celebrate International Women’s Day. While there is still mahi to be done to achieve gender equity in the legal profession, International Women’s Day is an opportunity to pause and acknowledge – with gratitude – the courage, leadership and persistence of those who came before us…
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