Amendments to the Fair Trading Act in 2022 brought prohibitions for unconscionable conduct in New Zealand. To date, we have not seen any substantive cases, but does that mean no one is acting unconscionably? Explore recent decisions in Australia and their potential impact in New Zealand and what behaviours are occurring in New Zealand that are likely to be found unconscionable.
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
Learning Objectives:
- Be aware of recent cases in Australia on unconscionable conduct and their potential impact in New Zealand
- Understand the types of conduct that are likely to be found unconscionable in New Zealand er Russell McVeigh
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
3 Years On: Is Anyone Acting Unconscionably in NZ?
The amendments to the Fair Trading Act in 2022 brought prohibitions for unconscionable conduct in New Zealand. While there are yet to be any substantive cases, does that mean no one is acting unconscionably?
- Recent developments in Australia on unconscionable conduct and their potential impact in New Zealand
- The types of conduct that are taking place in New Zealand that are likely to be found to be unconscionable – and why in-house counsel need to be on the lookout in their own organisations
- How unconscionable conduct can be used as both a shield and a sword
Presented by Joe Edwards, Partner Russell McVeigh and Julia O’Neil, Senior Legal Counsel, Commerce Commission
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria‚ Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities, An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Joe Edwards, Partner, Russell McVeigh
Joe is a litigation partner at Russell McVeagh who specialises in consumer law. He has been counsel in some of New Zealand's leading criminal and civil cases under the Fair Trading Act and Financial Markets Conduct Act.
Julia O'Neil. Senior Legal Counsel, Commerce Commission
Julia is a Senior Legal Counsel at the Commerce Commission, specialising in all aspects of Fair Trading law with a particular focus on unfair contract terms and unconscionable conduct. Before joining the Commission, Julia worked extensively in house, including in the travel, banking and consumer finance industries.
This seminar is part of a series
In-House Counsel Lunchtime Learning
In-House Counsel are under more pressure than ever with expanding workloads, shrinking budgets and increasing regulatory complexity. Sign up for this lunchtime series of webinars to ensure that you are across the latest developments and gain essential strategies, practical tips plus vital legislative and case law updates - all aimed to assist you to reduce risk and meet regulatory requirements. Make it easy & save by registering for the full series or just the sessions that interest you. Watch each session live online or as an on-demand recording to watch at a time convenient to you.
Description
Attend all 5 sessions and earn 5 CPD Hours
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
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