Media & Articles

Members of our team have been invited to speak and write on a number of legal topics over the years. Here you will find a few of these appearances and articles.

Radio New Zealand

Here is an interview with Patrick discussing a discharge without conviction for a police officer who was caught driving two and a half times over the limit.

Newstalk ZB

Here is an interview between Mike Hosking and Patrick discussing the many ways in which positive outcomes can be achieved in a drink driving case.

Criminal Justice Select Committee – Sexual Violence (Legislation Bill) – 5 March 2020

In 2020, Patrick, Roderick Mulgan and Michael Bott were invited to appear as witnesses before the parliamentary Criminal Justice Select Committee to present a submission on the Sexual Violence (Legislation) Bill.

The bill contained proposals to significantly change the Evidence Act 2006 (our rules as to which evidence juries are allowed to have knowledge, while coming to their decisions) and the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (our rules on how criminal court cases are run generally).  The bill, if passed by Parliament, would adversely affect the fundamental rights of defendants in sexual cases.  Click on the underlined heading above to watch.

Should you wish to read the written submission that our team also submitted (which further explains the subject matter raised in their oral submission), you can find it here.

Criminal Offending and Deportation Liability

A discharge without conviction may be a suitable option if you reside in New Zealand on a temporary or residence class visa and are charged with a criminal offence. Particularly if it is an offence that may bring about deportation liability. If you are seeking more information on discharge without conviction and deportation liability you can find an article here written by Tom Hielkema, one of our barristers.

Driving While Disqualified/Suspended and Section 94 Community-Based Sentences

Often people think that the chances of getting caught for driving during a suspension or disqualification are low. However if you are caught this is likely to create a great deal of stress with an even further disqualification. An alternative to disqualification is a community-based sentence. If you want more information about this then here is an article written by one of our former barristers, Sarah Hames.