Justice Stephen Kós of the Court of Appeal will deliver the Resource Management Law Association's Tony Hearn QC Memorial Lecture in Christchurch on 21 April 2016.

Justice Kós will speak on the subject "Davids and Goliaths: Public participation in the planning process?" at the Hagley Oval Pavillion, 63 Riccarton Avenue.

The Tony Hearn QC Memorial Lecture is held in honour of resource management and planning law expert Tony Hearn QC, who died on 10 June 2002 in Christchurch.

A memorial lecture is held every two years to recognise his significant contribution to the area of resource management, including the drafting of a review of the Town and Country Planning Act 1977 for the government that influenced the creation of the Resource Management Act 1991.

Justice Kós graduated LLB(Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington in 1981 and LLM from Cambridge University in 1985. He became a partner of Perry Wylie Pope & Page in 1985 and of Russell McVeagh in 1988.

After joining the independent bar in 2005 he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2007. His main areas of practice were commercial and environmental litigation.

Justice Stephen Kós was appointed to the High Court in April 2011, and to the Court of Appeal in September 2015.

Having graduated LLB (Hons) from Victoria University in 1981 and LLM from Cambridge University in 1985, he was quickly appointed as a Partner in Perry Wylie Pope & Page in 1985, and three years later, in Russell McVeagh.  He joined the independent bar in 2005, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2007.  His principal fields of practice were commercial and environmental litigation. 

Justice Kós was appointed to the High Court in April 2011, and to the Court of Appeal in September 2015.