Cur Adv Vult
C Otago Library’s heritage collection
31 JANUARY 2014
NEWSLETTER OF THE NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY OTAGO BRANCH
Brighter economic times expected
W
elcome back from the holiday season. Few
experienced the expected amount of fine
weather. Hopefully the best of summer is still
ahead of us.
The holiday season saw publicity about the brighter
economic times expected in 2014. This should hopefully
provide greater opportunities for practitioners.
This news comes at a time when we are shortly to see
the introduction of the Family Court reforms. There
are understandable concerns about the impact that will
have on legal practices.
We welcome Judge Kevin Phillips to the Dunedin
District Court bench. Judge Phillips has moved from
Invercargill. Judge Phillips is well known to the
profession as a Queenstown practitioner prior to his
appointment and as a well-respected Judge who sat
regularly in Central Otago.
Two Christchurch based High Court appointments
have been announced. Cameron Mander was Deputy
Solicitor-General (Criminal Group) prior to his
appointment. Rachael Dunningham was a partner at
Buddle Findlay in Christchurch and President of the
Canterbury-Westland branch of the New Zealand Law
Society. We expect that both Justices will sit in the
Dunedin Court on circuit. There will be an opportunity
to formally welcome Justices Mander and Dunningham
and Judge Phillips in due course.
The year ahead will see the construction of additional
courts and associated facilities in the High Street
premises, with the ultimate relocation of all judiciary
and court staff to High Street. That will enable the
remedial work to be undertaken to the Stuart Street
courthouse.
The Past Presidents’
Dinner will be held on 21
February at Pier 24.
The first half of the
year sees the F W Guest
Memorial Lecture and
Ethel Benjamin Address.
The branch Annual General
Meeting will be in June this
year. There will be visits
by the branch Council to
Oamaru and Queenstown
later in the year. This
year’s conference will be
held in Queenstown in mid
November.
The profession was
saddened to note the
passing of Jim Guthrie
Gerard DeCourcy
on 1 January. Jim was a
highly capable advocate
and universally respected by his peers. His outstanding
career was tragically cut short by Parkinsons which was
a loss to the profession. Our sympathies are extended to
his family and his former colleagues at Anderson Lloyd.
An obituary will appear in the next issue.
There is a survey in this issue of Cur Adv Vult. We would
welcome your feedback on whether there are changes or
improvements that could be made to our newsletter.
I wish you all the best for 2014.
From
the
President
Gerard DeCourcy
[email protected]
New graduates experience programme
T
here are a group of law graduates who are yet to secure a job and are marking time.
The Criminal/Family Court and Legal Aid reforms make it more difficult for new graduates to enter
these areas. There is then likely to be greater difficulty for these new graduates to find employment.
We would like to find opportunities in all areas of practice for new graduates to gain some experience
in a firm or by observing a case. This would not be remunerated.
In addition to giving them some experience, it will simply give them some encouragement while they try and
find their first job.
Would any firm or barrister prepared to give a new graduate some time with them or involve them with a case,
please contact the branch. We will match these offers up with new graduates interested in this experience.
Thank you for your support. It will be appreciated.
For your
diary
FEB
Council meeting.
FEB
Family Forum
Branch office, 1pm.
FEB
Property and Business
Law Committee
Branch office,1pm.
FEB
New Practitioners’
Group
Branch office,1pm.
FEB
Past Presidents’ dinner.
7 for 7:30pm, Pier 24.
FEB
OWLS Annual General
Meeting
Ombrellos, 5:30pm.
FEB
Employment Law
Committee
Branch office, 1pm.
4
5
13
20
21
25
26
OWLS AGM coming up
O
WLS held several events
in the period leading up to
Christmas.
Our annual 20 year lunch
was held at 2 Chefs in October. This
lunch celebrates the achievement of
our members who have practised
for 20 years or more. We are
delighted that the group continues
to grow. Last year we marked
the achievement in legal practice
of Theresa Chan, who has now
practised for 20 years.
After our successful Suffrage Day
breakfast, the format of which
we changed in 2013 to involve a
speaker, we had a second breakfast
event at which Jane Wilson
QSM spoke. Jane is one of our
longstanding members, and OWLS
was delighted to see her included
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
for her services to the community.
Jane spoke about the process for
being nominated for an award,
about the ceremony, and about her
involvement in community projects
over the years. OWLS congratulates
Jane on this well deserved
recognition.
Another event was a shopping
evening at the Dunedin Trade Aid
store. Trade Aid staff members
spoke about the origin of some of
the items in the store, and explained
• Liquidations / Receiverships • General Insolvency
Advice • Mortgage Recovery Assistance • Property
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Free Phone: 0800 633 343
Auckland
9th Floor, West Plaza, 1-3 Albert St.
PO Box 2137
Keith Harris
Christchurch
8b Homersham Place, Burnside
PO Box 20-009
Wayne Deuchrass
how the purchase of them directly
benefits communities in developing
countries. Many of the items are
produced by women, who through
engagement in the fair trade
process, are able to improve their
family situations.
Our annual Christmas lunch was
held at Plato, and was, as always,
well attended by our members.
We also note the appointment of
new women judges to the Bench,
and congratulate Judge Cook,
appointed to the Invercargill District
Court, and Justice Dunningham,
appointed to the Christchurch High
Court.
The OWLS AGM will be held at
Ombrellos, at 5:30pm on Tuesday 25
February. As in past years, nibbles
will be provided by OWLS, followed
by the meeting, after which members
are invited to stay for dinner.
A speaker for the AGM will be
confirmed shortly. This year we look
forward to hearing contributions
from members in relation to ideas
about events for 2014, particularly in
relation to professional development
events OWLS could run. We also
invite members to share their
thoughts in relation to how OWLS
might promote itself on social
media, as we considering revamping
our electronic profile.
People
Sarah Law has joined Anderson Lloyd’s Queenstown office as a
solicitor.
Robert Wilson has joined Anderson Lloyd’s Dunedin office as an
associate.
Dunedin
Level 3 Burns House, 10 George St.
PO Box 1058
Iain Nellies Gus Jenkins
www.insolvency.co.nz
President: Gerard DeCourcy
Email: [email protected]
Les Williams AAMINZ
Construction Investigation
◊ Forensic Investigation
◊ Expert Witness
Dispute Resolution
◊ Negotiation
◊ Mediation
03 467 5731
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◊ Arbitration
0274 326 584
Cur Adv Vult | 32 | 31 JANUARY 2014
Branch Manager: Karl Hewitt
Street address: Level 4, John Wickliffe House, 265
Princes Street, Dunedin, 9016
Postal address:
P O Box 1901, Dunedin 9054
Phone: (03) 477 0596
General inquiries email: [email protected]
Cur Adv Vult advertising: Christine Wilson
Phone: (04) 463 2905 advertising@lawsociety.
org.nz
Websites: http:// my.lawsociety.org.nz
www.lawsociety.org.nz
Registry:
Freephone 0800 22 30 30
[email protected]
CLE information:
Freephone 0800 333 111
[email protected]
Website: www.lawyerseducation.co.nz
Printing:
Lithoprint, Wellington
How do you rate Cur Adv Vult?
In this issue of Cur Adv Vult we have included a readership survey. This aims to find out what you think about our
branch newsletter and what we could do to improve it. One of the measures we will be looking at is the response rate.
If only, say, 10 or 11 readers respond, that will tell us something about the value people place on the newsletter.
As well as printing the questions in Cur Adv Vult, so you can either cut out or photocopy the survey and return it
as hard copy, you can fill out the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KKVK5BD. Please send hard
copies of the filled out survey to: Cur Adv Vult, New Zealand Law Society, DX SP20202 or PO Box 5041, Lambton
Quay, Wellington 6145.
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RESOLUTION CENTRE
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mediation
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adjudication
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Call: 479 4400
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Dispute
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FAMINZ
AAMINZ
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AAMINZ
Cur Adv Vult | 32 | 31 JANUARY 2014
3
New scholarship in law
T
he Kirsty Watterson
Memorial Scholarship in
Law has been established at
Otago University through
the generosity of the Watterson
family in remembrance of Kirsty
Watterson, an Otago University
Law Faculty graduate who passed
away in 2007.
After graduating with an
LLB(Hons)/BA in 1995, Kirsty
joined Bell Gully in Auckland and
later lived in Oman, Bahrain and
Abu Dhabi, with her husband Roger
Clarke, a partner in Trowers and
Hamlins. In 2004 Kirsty joined
Shoosmiths, a national firm in the
United Kingdom, and in 2006 she
was invited to join the partnership,
specialising in banking and finance
in the Thames Valley office.
Kirsty passed away suddenly and
unexpectedly on 5 December 2007,
while returning to Hampshire,
following a holiday with her
mother Margaret Watterson and
two sisters, Zara and Amy, both of
whom studied at Otago University.
Kirsty is survived by her husband
Roger and their two children Amy
and Hugo.
The scholarship is valued at $6,000.
Applicants must be undertaking
an LLB degree at 200-level or
higher and in financial need and
who otherwise might not be able
to continue to study in the Law
Faculty.
Kirsty Watterson
Inaugural winners of Alumni Scholarship
T
hree students have been
named the inaugural
winners of the Otago Law
Alumni Scholarship.
They are Caitlin Casey, Jessica Todd
and Emma Toseland, who will take
up their law studies at Otago this
year.
This scholarship is to provide
support to high achieving, deserving
year 13 students who aspire to study
law at Otago University.
For many students the practical
aspect of attending university
is merely a dream and one that
appears to be out of their reach.
The scholarship will provide
financial support for tuition fees or
accommodation fees in their first
year of studying law.
The Law Faculty says it offers its
heartfelt thanks to Otago Law
alumni from all over New Zealand
and around the world who have
contributed so generously to the
Otago Law Alumni Scholarship.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Lynne Harrison LLB, AAMINZ, RGON
Jim Guest FAMINZ (Med Arb) BA LLB P G Dip (Law)
Arbitrator, Mediator, Conciliator
Commercial, Rural & Relationship Property
David McCaskill FAMINZ(Arb)FCIArb LLB MPP
Dip Public Law
Mediator
Family, Health, Relationship Property
Ph 03 477 2262
[email protected]
Ph 021 0254 5009
Arbitrator
P O Box 8155, Dunedin 9041
Commercial, Building, General Disputes
Ph 03 477 5005
Doug Harvie AAMINZ Bcom
Arbitrator, Conciliator & Chartered Accountant [email protected]
Primary Sector, Commercial Business & SME Disputes
Ph 03 477 2262
Gerard De Courcy AAMINZ LLB
Mediator
[email protected]
Family & Commercial
0800 426 469
4
Cur Adv Vult | 32 | 31 JANUARY 2014
Ph 03 477 9305
[email protected]
Chris Steven AAMINZ LLB
Ph 03 443 8286
Mediator
[email protected]
Building, Commercial, Education, Resource Management, General
Trevor Shiels QC FAMINZ (Arb) LLB
Ph 03 477 4030
Arbitrator
[email protected]
Company, Commercial, Relationship Property, Resource Management
Ph 03 482 1840
Dr Clive Trotman FAMINZ (Arb) DSc PhD FIBiol
Arbitrator & Mediator
[email protected]
Science & Technology, Rural, Health & General Disputes
Ph 03 467 5731
Les Williams AAMINZ NZCB
Arbitrator, Mediator & Expert Witness
[email protected]
Building Disputes
www.aminz.org.nz