Back in person, just as you requested! Gain practical strategies and updates on legislation and case law from judges, prosecutors, and defence counsel. You will learn to navigate effective trial preparation, evidence handling, bail issues, and sentencing cases. Additionally, stay informed about developments in forensic DNA, client management strategies, and ethical considerations in sexual and family violence offences, as well as the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act. Gain insights into non-party disclosure and its implications plus more.

Presenters

John Munro, Director, John Munro Criminal Lawyer
John Munro, specializing in criminal defense, offers advice and protection to individuals facing criminal and regulatory charges. He provides robust advocacy in court, ensuring fair trials and thorough defense representation for his clients, supported by a team of experts in their respective fields.


Her Hon. Judge Pippa Sinclair, The District Court of New Zealand
Judge Sinclair was admitted to the bar in 1987. She has been practising as a staff solicitor and barrister in Auckland for over 22 years and warranted as a District Inspector for Mental Health Services for four years. Her legal career commenced as a staff solicitor at McElroy Morrison. She then went to the litigation department at Keegan Alexander. In 1993 she commenced practice as a barrister sole undertaking criminal work and representing patients in proceedings under the Mental Health Act. Her criminal practice has been predominantly in the District Court in both summary and jury trial jurisdictions including appeals and sentencings in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Judge Sinclair has served on the Auckland District Law Society Criminal Law Committee for the past three years and is an accredited LEADR mediator.


Fiona Culliney, Partner, Meredith Connell
Fiona prosecutes serious sexual violence cases, homicide, large-scale drug operations and financial crime. She has the innate ability to work compassionately alongside victims of crime. Fiona has trial experience related to commercial drug offending and associated money laundering, and brings forfeiture proceedings under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009. She also provides litigation for and advice to the Commerce Commission in respect of criminal cartel conduct. She appears on behalf of the Crown in appeals to the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and has further interest and expertise in extradition proceedings for other governments in the New Zealand courts.


Paige McElhinney, Director, Forensic Science Consultant, The Forensic Group
Paige McElhinney has worked in forensic science for over 20 years. She has worked for both the Crown, at ESR, and the defence, now a Director and forensic science consultant for The Forensic Group Ltd. Her areas of knowledge and expertise include - crime scene examination, body fluid identification, blood stain pattern interpretation, clothing damage, hair comparisons, footwear impression location, recovery and comparison and using DNA results to assist in interpretations. Paige was the Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care (DSAC) (now MEDSAC) liaison at ESR and represented ESR at training courses on sexual abuse for medical personnel run by DSAC, as well as at the training of Police Medical Officers. She was also part of the team that developed the most recent medical examination kit and co-authored the chapters on Forensic Specimens and Forensic Science and Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault in The Medical Management of Sexual Assault (Sixth Edition 2006), published by DSAC.


Katie Hogan, Barrister & Solicitor, City Chambers
Katie graduated BA/LLB(Hons) in 2000 and, after beginning her litigation career in a large commercial firm, joined Meredith Connell in 2006 where she became an Associate in 2012. In 2015 with her young family she moved to Samoa to act as legal consultant to the Attorney-General. At the same time, Katie was part of the team that successfully bid for the new Manukau Crown Solicitor’s warrant. She returned to New Zealand and began working for Kayes Fletcher Walker as a senior Crown prosecutor in late 2015. Katie joined the Independent Bar and became a member of City Chambers in 2018. Katie has in excess of 18 years’ trial experience and works for both prosecuting entities and defendants in a wide spectrum of serious cases. Criminal Proceeds is a particular specialty of Katie’s. She serves on the NZ Bar Association Criminal Committee, the NZLS Litigation Skills Programme, and is a member of a number of government prosecution panels.


Lynne Mathieson, Barrister, Gold Legal
Lynne Mathieson has worked within the Criminal Justice sector for over 25 years. Lynne joined the Police in 1996 and served as a frontline officer in rural areas such as New Plymouth, Tokoroa, Mangakino, and Paeroa. She then made her way to South Auckland where she was promoted to Sergeant and spent time as a Prosecutor in both the Otahuhu and Manukau District Courts. Eventually, she went back on the streets where she was promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant. Her last sworn role was as Senior Sergeant in charge of the Otara station. In order to juggle family commitments better, she left as a sworn officer and took up various Police non-sworn contract roles within the Counties Manukau District. These included setting up the Investigative Support Unit (ISU), managing the Counties Manukau South, Criminal Justice Support Unit (CJSU), and conducting reviews and training at various levels of the organization. She graduated from AUT law school in 2016 and worked again as a Police prosecutor in Manukau, Papakura, and Pukekohe. She swapped to the Defence in January 2023 when she took up a Senior Solicitor role with Gold Legal Ltd. During her session, she aims to pass on practical advice regarding navigating the lead up to trial, while also prompting thought and discussion regarding the challenges facing both Prosecution and Defence within the Criminal Justice environment.


Anoushka Bloem, Principal, Bloem & Associates
Anoushka Bloem founded Bloem and Associates as one of the only specialist criminal defence practices in Auckland. Anoushka specialises in jury trials for serious crime. She conducts jury trials in the Auckland region District Courts and the High Court. She also conducts appeals in the Court of Appeal. Anoushka represents people charged with the full spectrum of criminal charges. She regularly defends clients charged with sexual, violence drug and dishonesty offending. Anoushka has 15 years’ experience in the area of criminal law. Anoushka was admitted to the bar in 2004. She is a member of the Criminal bar association, is the Vice President of the Auckland Women Lawyer’s Association and is a committee member of the Auckland District Court sexual violence pilot.


Yvonne Mortimer-Wang, Barrister, Britomart Chambers
Yvonne is a Barrister at Shortland Chambers. She acts in criminal and civil proceedings with a particular interest in serious fraud, regulatory prosecutions, proceeds of crime, disciplinary proceedings, and other areas of public interest litigation. Yvonne began her career at the bar as an employed barrister and subsequently held tenancy as barrister sole at two sets of respected chambers in Auckland. Prior to joining Shortland Chambers, she also worked at Meredith Connell where she was a Crown prosecutor and acted for other government clients in civil proceedings. Yvonne has a degree in Law and Commerce (Finance) from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public and International Law from the University of Melbourne with First Class Honours. Yvonne was the 2016 Arthur Watts Fellowship intern at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (London) and an Inner Temple Pegasus Scholar (London) in 2018. She has a keen academic interest in areas including comparative legal studies, corporate criminal law, proceeds of crime, civil fraud, administrative law, and human rights law. Born in Shanghai, and raised both there and in New Zealand, her cultural and linguistic background gives her an insight into the dimensions and nuances of the law as experienced by immigrant communities in New Zealand.


Nathan Batts, Partner, Molloy Hucker Lawyers and Advisors
Nathan’s clients value his eye for detail, his ability to think quickly and effectively on his feet, and his determination to achieve the best possible outcome, whatever the challenges. Nathan has represented both the Crown and regulatory bodies in prosecutions and enforcement action. He has also acted for defendants resisting such proceedings. If you or your business are facing charges or regulatory investigation then Nathan is well-placed to assist. He also advises both companies and individuals in relation to employment disputes and civil litigation. Nathan regularly appears for clients in courts and tribunals but will ensure that any proceedings capable of early resolution are dealt with quickly, discretely and cost-effectively. On the inside, he’s the firm’s steady hand for clients in difficult legal situations.


Philip Hamlin, Barrister, Hamlin Law
Philip is an experienced Criminal Barrister with extensive involvement across a wide range of criminal trials, appeals and related civil hearings. He is a former Crown Prosecutor with over 38 years of experience. He has a BA in psychology, LLB Honours degree and a Master of Jurisprudence from Auckland University. Phil is recognised for his expertise in criminal law, specifically in sex crimes, child abuse and homicides, expert evidence cases, appeals, mental health, pornography and computer-internet crime. More recently Phil has been involved in the case of R v Tongia which has revisited the scope of fitness hearings and trial rights for mentally unfit defendants. Philip is the chairman of the National Office for Professional Standards for The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand. He advises on practical protocols to respond to sexual abuse complaints and to correct and further prevent abuse within the Church by implementing safeguarding programmes.


Richard Marchant, Barrister, Regent Chambers
Richard typically appears in the District and High Courts on a range of criminal litigation. He has extensive experience in prosecuting regulatory cases. Also appearing as defence counsel and as Amicus (appointed by the Court to assist the trial Judge). He has a particular expertise in criminal jury trials, disciplinary proceedings and coronial inquests. He was formally a partner at the Crown Solicitor's office in Auckland for 20 years. During his last five years at the firm, he was Chairman of the firm's board. He has prosecuted over 25 homicide trials as lead counsel and assisted in the prosecution of Q v Chris Kahui and Q v Anthonie Ronnie Dixon. He continues to prosecute serious crime as a panel member for two Crown Solicitor's offices. Since leaving Meredith Connell he has been appointed by the Governor General as a Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.


Maree Cross, Barrister, Lorne Street Chambers
Maree practices in criminal and civil litigation. In addition to her LLB (Hons)/BA from the University of Auckland (graduating with a Senior Prize and Senior Scholarship respectively), she holds an LLM (graduating as a Scholar) from Columbia University, New York. Maree was full-time junior to David PH Jones KC as well as a Senior Associate in litigation at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. She joined the independent bar in 2016 at Lorne Street Chambers with Mr Jones. She has acted for a number of high-profile individuals and appears regularly in the District and High Courts, with particular expertise in the criminal jury trial jurisdiction. She is Convenor of one of the Auckland Standards Committees, member of the NZLS National S30 Interview Panel, and contributing author to the Thomson Reuters’ text, “Privacy Law in New Zealand”.


Todd Simmonds KC, Lorne Stree Chambers
Todd was admitted to the bar in 1990 and specialises in criminal litigation. He has extensive trial experience in the High and District Courts and has appeared many times as lead counsel in the Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a barrister sole in 2004, Todd was a senior prosecutor with Meredith Connell, the office of the Auckland Crown Solicitor. He has been a member of the Auckland Crown Solicitor's panel since 2004 and was appointed to the Manukau Crown Solicitor's panel upon its inception in 2015. Todd was appointed to the Serious Fraud Office prosecution panel in 2010. Todd has served as deputy chair of the New Zealand Bar Association’s criminal law committee and is a past convenor of the Auckland District Law Society's criminal law committee. Todd is a regular presenter on all aspects of criminal law.


Robin McCoubrey, Partner, Meredith Connell
Robin's experience includes prosecuting trials of the utmost seriousness, including high-profile cases of homicide, profit-driven organised criminal offending and serious sexual offending. He has appeared in over 100 jury trials before the District and High Courts. He also regularly appears for the Crown in the Court of Appeal and, in one instance, the Supreme Court. He also has considerable experience acting in proceeds of crime litigation, as well as advising and appearing for a number of regulatory bodies.


Henry Steele, Partner, Meredith Connell
Henry has a broad range of criminal and commercial litigation experience, and regularly prosecutes jury trials in the High Court and District Court, as well as representing the Crown in the Court of Appeal. He specialises in prosecuting organised crime, particularly commercial drug offending and the laundering of its proceeds, as well as culpable homicide, serious sexual violence, including complex multiple complainant cases, and cases involving national security. Henry also advises and represents Police, NZ Customs and the Department of Corrections, and appears in a number of specialist tribunals on behalf of regulatory agencies.