Public Law
Public law involves the body of statutes, rules, regulatory systems and cases controlling how citizens and corporations interact with government. Our barristers provide advocacy and advice on public and administrative law issues to a range of clients including to private individuals, groups and companies interacting with central and local government decision-making, in relation to:
- judicial review of administrative law functions
- infrastructure and public works
- regulatory investigations, prosecutions, appeals and due process challenges
- licences, consents, business approvals needed from government agencies
- law reform process – submissions and strategy
- official information requests and Ombudsmen proceedings
- complex statutory interpretation problems
- bylaws, standards, codes and other regulatory instruments
- heritage
- fisheries
- biosecurity
- tendering, RFPs, procurement issues when doing business with an arm of government
- representing participants or affected parties in government or Royal Commission Inquiries
- enforcement and other statutory remedies
- recognition of Maori and Treaty of Waitangi interests
See here for an article by Gary Hughes: “What is Public Law, and why will it matter even more after COVID-19?
Local Government Law
Providing wide-ranging advocacy and advice to the local government sector at both a district and regional level, as well as to private individuals and companies interacting with local government, in relation to:
- judicial review of administrative law functions and decisions
- infrastructure and public works
- rating and valuation
- resource consent applications and appeals
- plan and policy changes
- enforcement and other statutory remedies
Barristers
Stuart is a specialist barrister in resource management, public law and local government law with over 25 years experience in litigation at all levels.
Gary’s core expertise is dealing with government regulators and tribunal investigations, enforcement, judicial review. He is recommended by the Best Lawyers in NZ independent guide for Public Law.
Roimata has worked for over 15 years in human rights and public law, specialising in discrimination against Māori. She has represented iwi, hapū, whānau, urban Māori organisations and Māori owned and governed health and social service providers in the Courts, in negotiations with the government and in the Waitangi Tribunal.
Erin has worked on Treaty of Waitangi and Maori Land Law issues for close to a decade. She has assisted clients with Treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown, establishing Maori governance entities, opposition to offshore oil drilling and applications under the Takutai Moana Act.