Memorandum for incoming Attorney-General
19 March 2024The Chief Justice has released the memorandum she provided to Attorney-General Judith Collins on Ms Collins appointment to the role of Attorney-General in November 2023. The Attorney-General has agreed to the release and the deletions made to protect privacy and preserve free and frank communication between the Chief Justice and…
Read moreChanges to Section 27 Funding
08 March 2024The Bill to remove funding for reports obtained under section 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002, often referred to as cultural reports, has now received Royal assent and will take effect on Friday 22 March 2024. This means that the Legal Services Commissioner will no longer be able to fund…
Read moreFrom The President - February 2024
23 February 2024Tēnā koutou katoa.
I am delighted to bring you this update and the announcement that the Attorney General, the Hon Judith Collins KC, has today confirmed that there will be a 2024 round for the appointment of Kings Counsel. Please do read the Attorney-General’s announcement, which is in line with previous…
Appointment round for King’s Counsel announced
22 February 2024Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced an appointment round for King’s Counsel will take place in 2024.
Appointments of King’s Counsel are made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General and with the concurrence of the Chief Justice. The Governor-General retains the discretion to appoint King’s Counsel in recognition of…
NZ Bar Association calls for improved safety for lawyers - RNZ interview
09 February 2024The New Zealand Bar Association wants more done to improve safety for lawyers working in the country's courtrooms.
The New Zealand Bar Association wants more done to improve safety for barristers, judges and others working in the country's courtrooms.
Concerns about withdrawal of funding for Sentencing Reports
09 February 2024Withdrawal of funding for Sentencing Reports raises concerns for New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture
The Government’s announcement that it intends to withdraw funding for sentencing reports, currently available under 27 of the Sentencing Act 2002, raises concerns for lawyers.
There are significant risks that it…
Wayfinding for Civil Justice
20 December 2023Mr Kibblewhite says that “We see great value in Wayfinding and look forward to seeing how those of us working in the civil justice sector (including the judiciary and Ministry of Justice) will use it to inform how we coordinate, design, and plan civil justice initiatives.
Read moreLetter from the legal community on permanent ceasefire in Gaza
18 December 2023A group of KC’s, academic lawyers and other senior lawyers has written to the Government urging it to back an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The group includes 16 King’s Counsel, the dean of a law school, and a former chief human rights commissioner.
AUT-NZBA Mooting Competition 2023 winners
13 December 2023The New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture (NZBA) was delighted to sponsor this year’s AUT-NZBA Mooting Competition 2023. The AUT-NZBA Mooting Competition is part of an elective course, Adversarial Advocacy, offered at AUT Law School. We are pleased to support AUT’s approach to encouraging advocacy…
Read moreJudiciary publishes Guidelines for use of Generative AI in Courts and Tribunals
08 December 2023The New Zealand judiciary has today published guidance for court and tribunal participants on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in relation to proceedings.
Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann said:
“The use of new GenAI technology in the Aotearoa New Zealand legal context is increasing. These guidelines have been developed to…
From The President - 24 November 2023
24 November 2023Tēnā koutou katoa.
I am writing this as we all await the formation and announcement of our new Government, including importantly for the legal profession, our new Attorney-General and the new Minister of Justice.
By the time you read this, on Friday 24 November, we hope to have these announcements.
From the President - January 2023
06 November 2023Our President welcomes back members after the summer break and talks about our place in the legal community.
Tēnā koutou katoa
Hoki mai anō | Welcome back.
It is great to be back meeting up with colleagues, who are looking so tanned and relaxed. Long may it last.