The sun shines through morning mist rising from the bush at Ten Mile Creek, on SH6 between Greymouth and Punakaiki Working in a small, regional centre can be challenging and rewarding on both a personal and professional level, says Colin Smith, a partner at Greymouth firm Hannan & Seddon. Mr Smith says…

The sun shines through morning mist rising from the bush at Ten Mile Creek, on SH6 between Greymouth and Punakaiki Working in a small, regional centre can be challenging and rewarding on both a personal and professional level, says Colin Smith, a partner at Greymouth firm Hannan & Seddon. Mr Smith says…

The main thing I remember from the land law class I took at law school was the notion of ‘indefeasibility’, a word I have still never heard used outside land law (by way of comparison, words like caveat, and even moiety, have a place in other contexts). Fels v Knowles,…

A story on All Blacks who are/were lawyers might set the hearts of half your readership thumping and even allow them to spend a six-minute unit or two dreaming of swapping their pinstripes for a pair of studded rugby boots, but spare a thought for the 50% of lawyers who…

Rabia SiddiqueIrrefutably one of the best skills a lawyer will ever take to a meeting is excellent negotiation skills, but imagine having to use those skills to negotiate the release of yourself and two soldiers in a deteriorating war zone. Australian-based criminal and human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique was a guest…

A former lawyer who recently completed researching the vulnerability of New Zealand lawyers, accountants and real estate agents to being caught up in money laundering, says it is being done with ease. Ron Pol, principal with amlAssurance, is studying for a political science PhD on policy effectiveness, outcomes and money laundering. For…

On 1 April 1974 at the commencement of the amended Accident Compensation Act 1972, there was a massive and lasting change made to personal injury law in New Zealand. The common law right to sue for damages was removed and replaced with a statutory system that applied to all personal…

Law firms throughout the country must prepare for the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 phase two. They’ll have to come up with a plan to ensure compliance. This includes appointing a compliance officer, assessing the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing occurring within their business, and…

The least well-known of our IP statutes, the Plant Variety Rights Act 1987, is now undergoing a full review. Its two main objectives are to expand the bundle of rights protected to conform to UPOV 1991 (the governing international treaty) and to address the recommendations made by the 2011 Wai…

The Government’s Predator Free 2050 strategy is sometimes touted as depending on the feasibility of “gene drive” biotechnology, which allows an infertility gene to be introduced to a pest species with the aim of wiping it out. But Law Foundation-backed researchers believe there are many questions about how potential uses of…