Grant Donald Shand censured and fined

Auckland lawyer Grant Donald Shand has been censured and fined by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. In January 2019 the Tribunal found Mr Shand guilty of unsatisfactory conduct. This related to his failure to timeously provide all documents, upon request, to the new lawyers for a former client,…

ILANZ 2019 in-house lawyer award winners announced

The winners of the 2019 ILANZ In-house Lawyer awards were announced at the ILANZ conference in Dunedin on 10 May 2019.  ILANZ is the New Zealand Law Society's section for in-house lawyers and the annual awards recognise excellence across New Zealand's in-house lawyer community. ILANZ Public Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year Jeremy…

Practising fees and levies held to same level

The New Zealand Law Society has  maintained practising fees and levies for the 2019/20 year at the same level as the 2018/19 year. The Minister of Justice has approved the amounts recommended by the Law Society’s Council at its meeting in April. These will apply for all practising certificates renewed or issued…

Law Society congratulates Justices Joseph Williams and David Goddard

The appointment of Justice Joseph Williams as the first Māori on the Supreme Court is something all New Zealanders should be proud of, says New Zealand Law Society President Tiana Epati. “This is an historic appointment for Māori as tangata whenua, and for all of Aotearoa, New Zealand. He represents a…

Mohammed Idris Hanif struck off roll of barristers and solicitors

Mohammed Idris Hanif has been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. In 2018 Mr Hanif was found guilty of knowingly providing false and misleading information to Immigration New Zealand and was sentenced to 10 months home detention.   Mr Hanif had acted…

Law Society supports new body to review potential miscarriages of justice

A bill establishing an independent body to review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer suitable cases to appeal courts, will enhance transparency and public confidence in the criminal justice system, the New Zealand Law Society says.   The Law Society has presented its submission on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill to…

Rushed amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act should raise concerns

A bill making important changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act raises significant concerns and is being rushed through the legislative process without adequate evidence and analysis, the New Zealand Law Society says. The Law Society has presented its submission on the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill to Parliament’s Health select…

Law Society releases information on charging for AML/CFT compliance

The New Zealand Law Society has released a Practice Briefing on charging clients for compliance with AML/CFT requirements. AML/CFT - Charging clients for compliance says the Law Society's view is that the regulatory framework under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 does not prevent lawyers from passing on a genuine compliance…

Crown pastoral land proposals could lead to duplication

Proposals for changes to the management of Crown pastoral land could result in unecessary and inefficient regulatory duplication, the Law Society has said. Commenting on a Land Information New Zealand discussion document on the proposed changes, the Law Society says it appears a dual regulatory regime is proposed, under the Crown…

Use of DNA in criminal investigations changes needed

The New Zealand Law Society agrees with the Law Commission that a new Act is needed to replace the Criminal Invesigations (Bodily Samples) Act 1995. In a submission on the Commission’s Issues Paper, The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations, the Law Society says it agrees with the Commission that the…