What the Independent Review says on Te Tiriti

Recently, there has been a bit of commentary on one particular recommendation arising from the Independent Review Panel’s report. The recommendation concerns the proposal that a new statute for the regulation of lawyers should include a stand-alone, overarching Te Tiriti clause that “All persons exercising powers and performing functions and…

Practising certificate fee to rise by $140 in 2023-2024

In the last two years the Law Society has increased funding to modernise and improve our regulatory functions in line with the Regulatory Strategy. This modernisation work is planned to continue this year, including investing in the Law Society’s regulatory operations, new IT systems, improving compliance and focus on consumers.…

Paris Bar - Stage International 2023

The Law Society is taking applications for Stage International. Since 1991 the Paris Bar has hosted an eight-week traineeship known as Stage International which attracts young French-speaking foreign lawyers from all over the world. The aim of the internship is to help lawyers to learn about law and the practice of the…

Staying safe at Court

The assault on a lawyer at Whangarei Court in early March has led to an increased focus on court security and the safety of people attending court, including lawyers.

Managing Abusive and Threatening Behaviour workshops

The Ministry of Justice is providing free situational awareness and de-escalation training for court lawyers that will focus on managing abusive and threatening behaviour.

Legal Workplace Environment Survey 2023 – launching 4 April

The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa, in conjunction with leading insights company Kantar, are launching the Legal Workplace Environment Survey 2023 on 4 April. The survey will close 5 May.

Beware of legal citations from ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot which can be a useful tool for obtaining basic legal guidance and information. With access to copious amounts of online legal material and the ability to draft legal documents quickly, lawyers have been tempted to use ChatGPT. However, many responses have been labelled imperfect…

Changes to the Trust Account Supervisor Training Programme

Changes to the current approach to Trust Account Supervisor examinations have been approved by the Law Society Board and will take effect from 1 July 2023.

Amendments to Returning Offenders legislation passed under urgency despite inconsistency with human rights

Parliament has urgently passed a new Bill today which means ‘501 deportees’ will face parole-like conditions even if they offended before November 2015, despite the Attorney General confirming aspects of the proposed amendments are inconsistent with fundamental human rights.

President's Christmas message 2022

It was a huge privilege to be elected as the 33rd President of the Law Society in November. I want to thank my colleagues for the trust and confidence you have in me to lead our profession through our next phase. It isn’t a role defined by one person –…