I’ll have the law on you: The selected letters of John Fytit
By Paul Brennan
Queensland lawyer Paul Brennan has done his bit to show that lawyers have a well-developed sense of humour. His character John Fytit began appearing in Mr Brennan’s legal cartoons in 1992. Fytit developed, moving from a bitter sole practitioner to become the confident advice-giver in a fictional legal Agony Aunt column which appeared in the blog 101 reasons to kill all the lawyers (“I didn’t want to depress the entire legal profession by having 1001”). Paul Brennan has now decided that it is time to kill off his hero, and John Fytit has passed on at the age of 51. His selected letters deliver advice on a diverse range of matters including failure to recognise a client, being put out to grass, the do’s and don’ts of gossiping, smart phones and the law, and challenging a will.
Brief Books, 978-0-987489-42-5, December 2015, 91 pages, US$9.95 on Kindle.
Ethics, Professional Responsibility and the Lawyer, 3rd edition
By Duncan Webb, Kathryn Dalziel and Kerry Cook
It is 10 years since the 2nd edition was published and a whole new regime has come into being with the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 and the introduction of the Rules of Conduct and Client Care in 2008. The three authors are practising Christchurch lawyers and Duncan Webb notes a greater focus on practice, with less emphasis on theory. The book is intended to be both a textbook for law students and a guide for practising lawyers with extensive reference to case law and supplementary information. The 15 chapters cover subjects such as conflicts of duty, duties to disclose and keep informed, duties in the conduct of litigation, lawyer-client conflicts, protecting former clients’ confidences, and duties in the conduct of a legal practice.
LexisNexis NZ Ltd, 978-1-927227-82-4, March 2016, 441 pages, paperback and e-book, $130 (GST included, p&h excluded).
Health and Safety at Work Act: A Practical Guide
By Heather McKenzie
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 came into force on 4 April 2016, making important changes to the duties of people conducting a business or undertaking. Raymond Donnelly & Co Crown Prosecutor Heather McKenzie’s guide focuses on the Act, summarising the key concepts through 10 chapters, each of which focuses on an important aspect of the new regime (duties, worker participation and representation, enforcement tools, etc). Dr McKenzie says her objective is to provide an accessible first reference point not only to lawyers, but to all who work and participate in New Zealand’s health and safety systems. The book summarises, with the objective of providing practical guidance. The Act is not included, but there are many references to the appropriate sections, ensuring all information is closely tied to the relevant provision.
LexisNexis NZ Ltd, 978-1-927313-24-4, March 2016, 148 pages, paperback and e-book, $75 (GST included, p&h excluded).
Internet.law.nz: selected issues, Revised 4th edition
By David Harvey
Published four years after the third edition, Judge Harvey’s work reflects the rapidly changing online environment by adding new chapters on domain name disputes, harassment and online speech harms, and the “mixed issues of content regulation, defamation and reputational damage”. There have also been major new additions in areas such as e-discovery and the use of IT in courts. The 12 chapters aim to give practitioners, internet professionals and students an understanding of the spread of the Internet into all areas of business and the law, including computer crimes, jurisdiction, online business relationships, digital copyright and governance and regulation.
LexisNexis NZ Ltd, 978-1-927313-80-0, February 2016, 655 pages, paperback and e-book, $170 (GST included, p&h excluded).
The Law of Torts in New Zealand, 7th edition
Stephen Todd, General Editor
It is now 25 years since the first edition of “Todd on Torts” was published in 1991. In his Preface Professor Todd says he thinks the book is in good health. This is more than endorsed in a Foreword by Chief Justice Sian Elias which says the work is the defining work on torts in New Zealand and remains the first resource for all who work in the field. “Its authority is such that it is the text most frequently cited by New Zealand courts,” Dame Sian says. Stephen Todd’s review of the changes in the law since the sixth edition was published in 2013 shows how the law of torts continues to evolve rapidly, with, for example, decisions expounding on the principles of negligence continuing with “unabated frequency”. Professor Todd is assisted by the highly experienced author team of Urusula Cheer, Cynthia Hawes and Bill Aitken. Professor John Burrows has retired as a contributing author. The book is divided into 26 chapters and states the law as at 1 January 2016.
Thomson Reuters New Zealand Ltd, 978-0-947486-11-2, April 2016, 1,567 pages, paperback and e-book, $205 (GST and p&h excluded).
The New Zealand Legal System: Structures and Processes, 6th edition
By Jacinta Ruru, Paul Scott and Duncan Webb
This is an introductory text for first-year law students. The authors lecture at three of New Zealand’s six law schools. The book examines the structures and processes that define and shape New Zealand’s law: the New Zealand constitution, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our court system and the legal profession.
LexisNexis NZ Ltd, 978-1-927248-18-8, March 2016, 500 pages, paperback, $100 (GST included, p&h excluded).