Shortland Chambers is proud to announce that it is the first barristers' chambers to adopt the new Gender Equitable Engagement and Instruction Policy which was recently launched by the New Zealand Law Society and New Zealand Bar Association. The policy requires adopters to commit to increasing the proportion of women lawyers leading court proceedings and other contentious matters.

In signing up to the policy, Shortland Chambers has demonstrated its commitment to the goal of gender equity at the independent bar. A key objective of the policy is that by 1 December 2018, adopters will use reasonable endeavours to have women lawyers with relevant expertise take a lead on at least 30% of court proceedings, arbitral proceedings, and major regulatory investigations. As a policy adopter, Shortland Chambers will be required to provide a biennial confidential report to the Law Society on the measures taken to achieve the target.

Chambers member Jenny Cooper QC and Chambers junior Gretta Schumacher were closely involved in the development of the policy. Jenny says the policy has been welcomed by key players across the legal profession: "I am very optimistic that this policy, and the fantastic level of support it has received already, mark a real turning point for women in our profession."

The policy was launched at the offices of law firm Russell McVeagh on 5 December 2017. Daniel McLellan QC, chairperson of the Shortland Chambers board, signed on behalf of Chambers (pictured). The policy can be accessed here. 

For more information contact Jenny Cooper QC.

Shortland Chambers held its annual cocktail party for the Auckland legal profession on Thursday 10 October 2017 at the Northern Club.

The guest speaker was Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell. Ms Maxwell’s speech was delightful and entertaining, which was pleasing to the different age groups at our event. 

A great success.

This was the 11th annual cocktail party which chambers has held, and we look forward to hosting another in 2018.

Shortland Chambers recently hosted the prizegiving and post-final function for the AYL and NZBA Annual Junior Mooting Competition. The event, which has been running for a number of years, offers practitioners with fewer than 5 years PQE a unique opportunity to practice their court advocacy skills.  Each team works with an accomplished barrister as mentor, and competes in a series of preliminary and final rounds to progress to the Final.

The Final was judged this year by Associate Judge Roger Bell and Justice Lang, of the Auckland High Court.  Both Judges were complimentary of the quality of the final moot, both in terms of advocacy skills demonstrated by the competitors, and the treatment of commercial subject matter by four competitors specialising in criminal law.  

Congratulations to Hannah Croucher and Devon Kemp, the runners-up, from PDS, and to the winners, Matthew Mortimer from Meredith Connell and Yvonne Wang practising as an independent barrister.

A special thanks to the members of Shortland Chambers, and in the wider membership of the New Zealand Bar Association, who assisted as mentors to a number of teams in the preliminary rounds.  A particular thanks is extended to the members of our Senior Bar who generously gave up their time to adjudicate the preliminary and advanced rounds – David Bigio QC, Lady Deborah Chambers QC, David Jones QC, Jane Anderson QC and Daniel McLellan QC.

Shortland Chambers is committed to the on-going education of junior members of the legal profession.  The following members of Chambers are members of the NZLS Litigation Skills faculty: David Cooper, Marc Corlett QC, Bob Hollyman, Stephen Hunter, Daniel McLellan QC, Nic Scampion and Daisy Williams.  This year’s week long residential course will run from 19 August to 26 August at Lincoln University and will provide in-depth hands-on training in the skills needed for successful courtroom advocacy.

Shortland Chambers would like to congratulate Adam Ross, John Dixon, Jennifer Cooper, Andrew Barker and Greg Blanchard on their appointment as Queen’s Counsel.

David Bigio QC was facilitator for the SCREEN EDGE FORUM 2017 AUCKLAND as part of the Doc Edge Documentary Film Festival on 27 May. The topic was: ”When Subjects Go Rogue” with Hollie Fifer, Annie Goldson, David Bigio QC (facilitator). How to manage legal risk around the subjects of documentary films who threaten to withdraw or sue over content which displeases them. Hollie Fifer is the Director of a film about PNG "The Opposition” which was the subject of injunction proceedings in the Australian Courts. Annie Goldson is one of NZ’s leading documentary filmmakers who is an officer of the New Zealand order of merit for services to documentary filmmaking. David also facilitated the Q&A  with Hollie after the screening of the Opposition on 26 May.