New Zealand Law Society - Law Society statements

Law Society statements

Aaron Rodney Nicholls suspended from practice on an interim basis

The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal (the Tribunal) has suspended Auckland lawyer Aaron Rodney Nicholls from practice on an interim basis from 17 April 2024. The Standards Committee sought an interim suspension order in respect of Mr Nicholls after laying charges which alleged misappropriation of client funds and deceitful conduct.

Misconduct charges against lawyer dismissed

The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal has dismissed two charges against a lawyer and granted him permanent name suppression. The alleged misconduct offences arose during a client's case. The client subsequently accused the lawyer of omitting items from a file which was sent to a barrister. The Tribunal accepted…

Dunedin courthouse restoration to start in October

Justice Minister Amy Adams says work will start on upgrading and refurbishing Dunedin's historic Stuart Street courthouse in early October, and is expected to finish in December 2017. Ms Adams says South Island company Amalgamated Building has won the contract for the work. "Dunedin's courthouse is not only one of the most…

Inland Revenue transitional powers to override tax legislation not justified

Giving Inland Revenue the ability to override the Tax Administration Act while it beds in its Business Transformation programme would give officials exceptionally wide powers and is not justified, the New Zealand Law Society says. "The Tax Administration Act covers a wide range of tax administration processes and rules that are fundamental to New Zealand's revenue…

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Former lawyer Greg Stewart suspended for 18 months

Former Otago lawyer Greg Roderick Stewart has admitted two charges in the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal and has been suspended from legal practice for 18 months from 6 September 2016. Mr Stewart, who voluntarily stepped down from practice before the hearing, has also been censured. The first charge was one of negligence in his…

Government response to ACC dispute resolution report encouraging

The New Zealand Law Society has welcomed Acting ACC Minister Nathan Guy's announcement that the Government will address all recommendations in Miriam Dean QC's independent report on the ACC dispute resolution processes. The convenor of the Law Society's ACC committee, Don Rennie, says the report is an important step in ensuring the access to justice issues…

Law Society seeks practical AML/CFT regime

The legal profession has a responsibility to co-operate in the global response to money laundering and terrorist financing, and inclusion of lawyers in Phase Two of the AML/CFT legislation must be through a practical monitoring and reporting regime based on proven risks in the New Zealand context, the New Zealand Law Society says. In its…

Sentence criticism ill-informed

Criticism of the sentence given to Nikolas Delegat in the Dunedin District Court is ill-informed and unfair to the Judge who followed and applied the law and guidelines relating to sentencing, the New Zealand Law Society says. "There seems to be a perception that the sentence is unusual and out of kilter. This is not correct…

Maritime terrorism legislation should allow for legitimate peaceful protest

The New Zealand Law Society says legislation to address maritime terrorism risks should ensure that peaceful protest is not inadvertently classified as terrorism. The Law Society has presented its submission on the Maritime Crimes Amendment Bill to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee. The bill implements obligations under two maritime counter-terrorism treaties to ensure that…

Law Society makes free gender diversity guide available

The New Zealand Law Society and its legal education provider NZLS CLE Ltd have published a booklet which provides four approaches to working towards gender diversity in law firms. The booklet, Working Towards Gender Diversity in NZ Law Firms: Four practical approaches to achieving change, may be freely downloaded. It contains…

Disciplinary charges stayed against lawyer affected by dementia

An Auckland lawyer who was suspended because he was facing serious allegations of gross overcharging has been found to have been suffering from dementia. The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal made an interim suspension order on 16 November last year against Robert John Moody. Mr Moody was charged with 'serious failures' in his charging practices…

Lawyer contributory mortgage exemption ending

The era of separate regulation of lawyers' nominee companies providing mortgage finance draws to a close on 30 September 2016 when the exemption of lawyers and law firms who act as contributory mortgage brokers from compliance with the Securities Act (Contributory Mortgage) Regulations 1988 ceases. From 1 October 2016, lawyers who…

Interim suspension of Richard Henry Hill

The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal has suspended Richard Henry Hill from practising as a barrister and solicitor until disciplinary charges brought against him by a New Zealand Law Society standards committee are decided. Mr Hill was found guilty on 11 July 2016 in the Hastings District Court of a charge of criminal…
NZLS supports deceased organ donor register consideration

NZLS supports deceased organ donor register consideration

The New Zealand Law Society says it supports further consideration of a register of organ donors. In a submission on the Ministry of Health discussion document Increasing Rates of Deceased Organ Donation, the Law Society says while tweaking the driving licence regime is a good option for improving the recording of…
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