I will not use my blog to relitigate judgments I have lost. I will not use my blog to relitigate judgments I have lost. I will not use my blog to relitigate judgments I have lost. I will not use my blog to relitigate judgments I have lost. I will not use my blog to relitigate judgments I have lost.
I suppose what I’m saying is:
Pro bono work doesn’t say anything about how good you are at cross-examination.
But skill at cross-examination doesn’t say anything about your commitment to the rule of law or a culture of service.
And we might want silks to have all those qualities.
I sort of agree with the sentiment, but maybe the better framing is that it is good when excellence and leadership of the profession is wide (“and” not “either”). It’s the narrow policing of “excellence” that has restricted many (often minorities) from the profession and silk in the past.
Such ugly thinking committed to print by someone meant to be a leader of the bar. Resolutely depressing stuff for a Sunday evening.
Silks are not leaders of the profession, the letters are just a “consumer signal”.
Again just incredible stuff from Deborah Chambers KC, who writes a column to tell the world she doesn’t know about silk appointments made under the royal prerogative (as opposed to ordinary silk appointments).
www.nzherald.co.nz/business/kin...
Government: courts are subverting Parliamentary intent.
Courts: you got any select committee reports to help us understand Parliamentary intent?
You don't start by taking the lead.
Great to be able to hear from an expert in handling challenges that arise in a setting that is difficult for others to see.
I know I was just complaining about “body corporates”, but I’m deeply uncomfortable with “actus rei”.
Ronaki-Wihapi v R [2026] NZSC 30
The reason the Legal Research Foundation don't put me in charge of their fundraising quiz at the Northern Club is because I would have an audio round where you have to identify the speaker from their voice and all ten questions would be clips of Winston Peters.
It profit a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world ... but for ACT?
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...
My reign radar detecting high degrees of sovereignty in Northland.
The Auckland High Court undergoing one of its occasional rewhitenings.
Statutes Amendment Bills clean up your Act.
My favourite thing about this is that he posted it on his Substack and the first commenter thanked him by saying "Well said Gary".
15,000 roentgens on my euphemismometer.
David Harvey on how the rule of law demands that the courts remain on X, the place that facilitates deepfake nudes.
Satherley v R [2026] NZCA 97 seems sort of important as a worked example of a sentence reduction being granted and then upheld by the CA for breach of rights. We all know the "in theory, yes" decisions like Williams and Beckham, but this seems pretty concrete.
Can't wait for Supreme Court Christmas cards this year.
"Seasons Greetings from the Judges of the Supreme Court, except Miller J who agrees but writes separately."
Learning needs and reasons for them: "I need to read new HC and CA judgments every morning in case there is some mildly amusing metaphor or an unfortunate spelling mistake."
Once again claiming zingers as CPD.
I'm not saying it would be grounds for removal but I'd expect at least a head of bench referral for pluralising body corporate as body corporates.
The finalists for the Simpson Grierson People & Culture Excellence Award are… Simpson Grierson.
I went for a break and spilled chocolate icing on my jumper and my copy of Geoffrey Palmer’s new book on Parliamentary Privilege :(
Been out of town for two weeks at a hearing but now back in my happy place (brunch with much more talented wife, eight plus the theme on the FT Quiz, and now safely in the office with double screens and writing a set of subs citing Daganayasi).
I bought the old Bernard Brown book I mentioned the other day, and it’s packed with fantastic Graham Percy illustrations. Look at this chap! It’s me!
