We've made it easy for you with our newly launched 10 CPD Hour Criminal Law Bundle. This bundle combines two of our bestselling criminal law programmes, delivered live online so you can learn, save, and meet your CPD requirements with ease.
Start with Traffic Law Essentials on 26 February, covering the latest in New Zealand traffic laws, key defences, case law, and legislative updates on issues like drink driving and driver licence charges. Then, join the Criminal Law Conference on 21 March for 7 CPD hours of practical guidance on trial preparation, evidence handling, bail, sentencing strategies, and the latest in forensic DNA and ethical challenges in sexual and family violence cases.
Attend and earn 10 CPD hours
Traffic Law Essentials: Driving and EBA Offences, Courtroom Etiquette, and Latest Judgments
Delve into complex drink driving and licensing issues with the country’s top traffic law specialists as they unravel New Zealand’s traffic law offences and possible defences. Benefit from expert guidance, from the defence and prosecution, who will share valuable insights on EBA judge-alone trials and options after a driver licence charge, alongside case and legislation updates.
Attend and earn 3 CPD hours
- Understand the discharge without conviction process, the legislation, and sentencing options
- Can a criminal offence, such as drink driving, or a major traffic offence, be discharged without conviction?
- Latest Discharge without Conviction cases
- Disqualification from driving: learn how to minimise the negative impact of mandatory disqualifications; how to utilise s81, s85 and s94 effectively; the penalties; and latest judgments
Presented by Sam Campbell, Barrister and Solicitor, Campbell Legal
- Disclosure
- Engaging with the client
- Identifying defences
- Admissibility issues
- Cross-examination
- Closing submissions
Presented by Allan Tobeck, Barrister
Presented by Zoe Reid, Barrister
Danielle Beston, Barrister, Danielle Beston Barrister
- Taking instruction, advising the Client
- Preparation of documents, and timing
- Previous convictions
- Dealing with police
- Court appearance / in chambers
- Picking up the licence
Presented by Rupert Ward, Barrister
- Receive practical guidance on the discharge without conviction process
- Gain practical tips to navigate driver licence suspensions, disqualifications, and appeals, and defend excess breath/blood alcohol (EBA) charges
- Explore EBA judge-alone trials and how to effectively engage with the bench
Presenters
Danielle Beston, BarristerDanielle Beston is a Barrister Sole who holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Philosophy from the University of Auckland. She is a member of the New Zealand Law Society, The Auckland District Law Society and the Criminal Bar Association. Danielle has presented at seminars held by the Continuing Legal Education Division of the New Zealand Law Society, the University of Auckland Alumni Network, the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment and Legalwise Seminars. With over 20 years’ experience as a defence lawyer, Danielle has a special interest in traffic and transportation law. She has represented clients in a wide range of different industries throughout New Zealand in relation to Police Prosecutions and New Zealand Transport Agency investigations. She has also been a contributor to the New Zealand Trucking Magazine’s “Legal Lines” column since 2006.”
Allan Tobeck, Barrister
Allan Tobeck was admitted to the Bar in 1999 and has had a strong traffic practice since then. He has appeared for defendants in courts at all levels on drink driving matters and in courts from Kaitaia to Invercargill. He regularly appears as Defence Counsel for defendants charged with drink driving offences and he also assists other Defence Counsel doing the same. Whilst currently based in Southland, he regularly appears in courts nationally and maintains a strong interest in drink-driving defences.
Rupert Ward, Barrister
Rupert Ward LLB BA (Hons) has a broad barristerial practice in Christchurch that encapsulates criminal, mental health, civil, and immigration law. Rupert first worked for Kensington Swan in Wellington in Litigation before moving to work for several years in London. He attended regularly in the Royal Courts of Justice. Rupert has an interest in advocacy and in business. He set up a ground-breaking business in Europe in 1993, specialising in immigration that was a world leader in immigration for many years, with offices in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Moscow etc. Rupert was a trade development officer for the Queensland Government and was on the board of Australian Business in Europe. He worked for Tradenz and Austrade in Europe before returning to New Zealand in 2001. Rupert now practices heavily in Immigration and finds that the interface between his interest in business and his legal experience in immigration, criminal, and mental health practice results in him handling many deportation and character centred immigration cases. He has had numerous successful hearings at the Immigration and Protection Tribunal and district court level and regularly appears in the High Court.
Zoe Reid, Barrister
Zoe has been practising law since 2007, having studied at the University of Auckland where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (majoring in psychology and sociology) and then commencing her career at a corporate law firm. In 2009 the pull to step out from behind a desk and engage more with members of her community led to Zoe joining Chris Reid’s well-established criminal law practice. Zoe was delighted to get the opportunity to work alongside her father and learn his trade! In 2011, Zoe became the principal of the practice and Chris has worked as a consultant ever since. For more than 10 years Zoe has focused her practice solely on drink drive and traffic law. As a specialist drink drive and traffic lawyer, Zoe has extensive experience appearing on such matters in the District Court, including successfully taking matters on appeal to the High Court. Zoe has presented seminars on drink drive law to other law practitioners and is also instructed by other practitioners to provide written advice on the topic, often appearing on their behalf as counsel at court.
Sam Campbell, Barrister and Solicitor, Campbell Legal
Sam Campbell is a Barrister and Solicitor specialising mainly in criminal defence work. Sam has experience in the Family and District Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal. Sam began practicing in 2017. Before going out on his own, Sam worked for the general practice Ord Legal in Wellington for three years, before moving to work at the Wellington Public Defence Service. Sam has been running his own legal practice for three years and is based in Wellington.
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Criminal Law Conference 2025
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.
Attend and earn 7 CPD hours
Chair: John Munro, Director, John Munro Criminal Lawyer
Sexual and family violence cases presented in court can be particularly challenging, making effective advocacy essential. This panel will include a remarkable group of highly experienced experts, featuring a judicial perspective, advocates from both the defence and prosecution, as well as a forensic scientist. The discussion will encompass updates on forensic DNA, client management strategies, and the exploration of ethical issues.
Panellists include:
Her Hon. Judge Pippa Sinclair, The District Court of New Zealand
Fiona Culliney, Partner, Meredith Connell
Lynne Mathieson, Legal and Research Counsel, Office of the Chief Coroner
Anoushka Bloem, Principal, Bloem & Associates, Criminal Defence Specialist
Paige McElhinney, Director, Forensic Science Consultant, The Forensic Group
- Matters of procedure
- Restraining orders
- Profit forfeiture quantification
- Claims for relief
- Settling with the Commissioner
Presented by Nathan Batts, Partner, Molloy Hucker, and Katie Hogan, Barrister & Solicitor, City Chambers
- How will the latest decisions impact on your future applications
- Focus on ss 10 and 12 and reverse onuses
- Consideration of dependants/children in the bail application analysis
Presented by Maree Cross, Barrister, Lorne Street Chambers
- Costs under the Criminal Procedure Act 2011
- Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967
Presented by Yvonne Mortimer-Wang, Barrister, Britomart Chambers
- The balance between the right to a fair trial and the need for full disclosure of evidence
- The purpose of the request, the potential impact on the parties involved, and the nature of the information requested
- Case strategies, the management of confidential information and the role of third parties involved
- Practical steps under the Criminal Disclosure Act 2008 to obtain disclosure:
- Which organisation/entity to ask
- The extent of the inquiry: issues for the first letter
- The volume of documents sought
- Special privacy concerns
- The need for two separate hearing
- Can we see any trend from recent cases?
- How the judiciary is permitting non-party disclosures and the criteria considered
Presented by Philip Hamlin, Barrister, Hamlin Law
- Analyse the challenges and effective strategies when acting in sexual offence cases
- Examine the latest on criminal costs
- Learn about the implications of non-party disclosure from recent case law
- Examine recent developments in the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009
Chair: Richard Marchant, Barrister, Regent Chambers
Presenters
John Munro, Director, John Munro Criminal LawyerJohn 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
After working as a senior criminal prosecutor, Katie joined the Independent Bar and became a member of City Chambers in October 2018. Katie has in excess of 19 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. Katie is an approved criminal legal aid lawyer (all levels) and civil legal aid lawyer. 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, Legal and Research Counsel, Office of the Chief Coroner
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 Law as the largest specialist criminal defence practice in Auckland. She has established a large team of criminal lawyers who focus solely on criminal law, offering transformative outcomes for her clients. Anoushka specialises in jury trials for serious crime. She conducts jury trials in the Auckland region District Courts and the High Court. Anoushka represents people charged with the full spectrum of criminal charges including sexual, violence, drug and dishonesty charges. Anoushka has 21 years’ experience in the area of criminal law.
Yvonne Mortimer-Wang, Barrister, Britomart Chambers
Yvonne is a Barrister at Britomart Chambers. She is an experienced criminal and civil litigator with particular expertise in serious fraud, commercial (‘white-collar’) crimes, proceeds of crime, civil fraud, regulatory, disciplinary proceedings and investigations. Yvonne is a board member of New Zealand Asian Lawyers, and co-chairs its litigation committee. She is also a co-chair of the Advocacy Committee of the New Zealand Bar Association. Yvonne is a member of the prosecution panel for the Serious Fraud Office, and has been appointed counsel assisting in High Court and Supreme Court proceedings. Before Britomart Chambers, Yvonne most recently held tenancy at Shortland Chambers. Prior to that, she worked as a Crown prosecutor at Meredith Connel, where she also acted for 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.
Nathan Batts, Partner, Molloy Hucker
Nathan is the litigation partner at Auckland City firm, Molloy Hucker. He has worked both in private practice and for the Crown and local councils as a prosecutor. Nathan’s current practice is focused on criminal and regulatory defence work (including defending proceeds of crime applications by the Commissioner of Police) as well as a broad range of civil and employment-related litigation. Nathan has full criminal and civil legal aid approval. He is a member of the Law Association’s Criminal Law Committee, a lawyer member of a National Standards Committee, and part of the Court Martial defence panel.
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”. Maree also conducts Certificate of Character interviews on behalf of NZLS.
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.
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