The election took place on Friday the 15th of October 2021. Jacqueline Lethbridge was elected as the next President. She will officially take over in April 2022.
See more information here.
Meet the Candidates standing to be the next President Elect of the Law Society.
Nominations to be President-Elect of the New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa closed on Tuesday 14 September. Four candidates have been nominated.
The election will take place at a meeting of the Law Society Council on 15 October. It is decided by votes from each of the members of the Council.
Meet the candidates
We asked the four candidates for a short biography of their career so far, and the following questions:
- Why are you running for New Zealand Law Society President?
- What would you bring to the role of President?
- If elected President, what are the three things you would like to achieve?
Read the candidates' profiles and responses:
If a poll vote is called, Law Society branches with more than 500 members (Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury-Westland and Waikato Bay of Plenty) receive an additional vote for each 500 members in excess of the first 500 and any additional part of 500 members (where such additional part is in excess of 250 members). As these branches have more than one vote, they can also split votes between candidates.
All other branches have one vote, along with each of the three sections, the New Zealand Bar Association and Large Law Firms Group Ltd, Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa and the Pacific Lawyers Association.
A majority of the total votes and the support of the representatives of at least four branches is required to be elected. Board members may not vote in the election if a poll is called.
For more information about the voting process see r.8 of the Constitution.
The successful candidate will take up the role of President-Elect immediately. Following a handover period they will take on the full Presidential role in April 2022 when our current President Tiana Epati’s term ends.