Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy practice

Practising Well has developed with three main areas of focus: healthy mind, healthy body, healthy practice. The two partnerships that have been in place for some time now have specialised in two of these areas. Lifeline – healthy mindThe partnership with Lifeline Aotearoa (www.lifeline.org.nz) is focused on the “healthy mind”, together…

Lawyers have free access to ‘fantastic’ wellness tool

The Law Society's Practising Well initiative has just received a significant enhancement. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Law Society and Vitality Works – an organisation with a specific emphasis on workplace health. New Zealand Law Society President Kathryn Beck and Vitality Works New Zealand Business Manager…

A short history

The Law Society’s Practising Well initiative began when an article headed “Lifting the veil of secrecy – depression in our profession” was published in LawTalk 732 on 29 June 2009. This advised that the Law Society’s Women’s Consultative Group was investigating the effect of stress and resulting depressive disorders within the…

Asking for help a sign of integrity and strength

In law "we take on a lot of stress," says former Solicitor-General, now barrister, Mike Heron QC. "Certainly I was, and people I was working with were under a lot of stress," says Mr Heron, who was one of a number of lawyers who have contributed to the new Practising Well…

From the Law Society

Practising WellPractising well is very important for all of us in the legal profession. That is why I was so pleased to sign, on behalf of the Law Society, a Memorandum of Understanding with Vitality Works, bringing to lawyers a third Practising Well partnership. The relationship with Vitality Works is an…

Our Profession, Our People

Judge Andrew Becroft has been appointed as the new Children’s Commissioner. Judge Becroft, who is currently New Zealand’s Principal Youth Court Judge, will take up the role in July. Judge Becroft, who has been appointed full-time for a two-year term, will also provide advice on how the role of the…

From accidental radio host to incidental lawyer

The law degree was no longer hanging on the wall, instead collecting dust in a cardboard box in the corner of the garage, while the wine shop business was beginning to sour. It was a long ragged road to the law and the story of what it took for Central Otago's…

Two lawyers awarded 2016 Ethel Benjamin scholarships

Wellington lawyers Holly Hedley and Bree Huntley are the joint 2016 winners of the New Zealand Law Foundation Ethel Benjamin Scholarship. A barrister at Thorndon Chambers, Ms Huntley is planning to undertake an LLM at Harvard University, specialising in administrative and constitutional law. There are two fundamental issues of public law reform…

Lawyer moves into corporate leadership

Grant Kemble is both a lawyer and a Chief Executive Officer. He left his role as a corporate partner at Russell McVeagh in September 2015 to take up the helm at the Complectus group. The group includes Perpetual Guardian, Guardian Trust, Covenant Trustee Services and Foundation Corporate Trust. The move came from…

2016 ILANZ Awards

A senior prosecutor with New Zealand Police in Hamilton, Adam Pell is the 2016 ILANZ Public Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year. Mr Pell was presented his award, one of five ILANZ awards presented at a dinner on 13 May held in association with the 2016 ILANZ Conference in Nelson. Mr Pell’s…

What should I declare at practising certificate renewal time?

The practising certificate renewal round is approaching, with all current practising certificates lapsing on 30 June. You will shortly be emailed a guide for renewal. You will already have completed your CPD declaration which was due on 31 March 2016. You will need to make a “fit and proper” declaration to renew…

The courts, open justice and the media

Members of the profession, particularly those who appear in courts, will be interested in recent developments in the area of media in courts. The Media and Courts Committee, where judges and media representatives meet, has been monitoring the ongoing challenges that arise. This committee was set up by the Chief Justice…

Insights from a litigation funder

The adversarial system is an effective means of achieving the correct legal outcome in civil litigation, provided there is equality of arms. By that, I mean that the resources of the adversaries must be approximately equal. If there is not equality, the party with the greater resources may well be able…

Law Reform

Clarity needed in land disposal income tax lawsThe New Zealand Law Society has recommended that changes to income tax law relating to land acquired for disposal should be clarified. Commenting on a draft Inland Revenue Department Question We’ve Been Asked: Income Tax – Land Acquired for a Purpose or With an…

Kiwi achievements at the English bar

This article is about the rise and rise of Kiwis at the English Bar. I had intended to submit it for publication before Christmas, but missed the deadline. Just as well. On 11 January it was announced that Stephen Jagusch – ex Simpson Grierson and now partner and Global Chair of…

Head to head hybrids

No potential hybrid owner has ever asked me, in my capacity as a little known motoring writer, whether they would be better to buy a Toyota Prius V, or a Porsche Cayenne S e-hybrid. Despite lack of interest in the question, I am going to address it. Viewing The Porsche One factor…

‘Powerful’ Digital Treaty collection now live

Many leading works on the Treaty of Waitangi are now available digitally via a single online “e-collection,” thanks in part to Law Foundation support. In early April, Bridget Williams Books’ Treaty e-collection went live, giving subscribers access to significant works on the Waitangi Tribunal, Treaty settlements and histories of British conquest…

Lawyers Complaints Service: Struck off for misappropriation

Bruce Harvey Reid of Auckland has been struck off by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal after he admitted misappropriating almost quarter of a million dollars. In [2016] NZLCDT 11 Mr Reid admitted two charges of misconduct and one charge of unsatisfactory conduct. The Tribunal had made an interim…

Lawyers Complaints Service: Outside Lawyers Complaints Service jurisdiction

The Legal Complaints Review Officer (LCRO) has reversed a lawyers standards committee decision to take no further action against a licensed conveyancing practitioner employed by a law firm. The person complained about, B, was described by the standards committee as an “unregistered legal executive employed by a law firm”, firm A,…

Lawyers Complaints Service: Fined for acting while conflicted

The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal has censured and fined a lawyer, B, $3,000 for acting where he was conflicted and unable to discharge his obligations owed to each of three clients. B denied the charge in [2015] NZLCDT 44. The Tribunal found B guilty of unsatisfactory conduct. B had…