Statutory Interpretation is a core competency for every legal practitioner. Strengthen your confidence and expertise in the practical, day-to-day application of statutory interpretation. Learn from experienced barristers as they share valuable insights, real-world examples and practical tips drawn from their advocacy. Through this session, you will develop practical skills in framing statutory arguments. Learn to draft compliant and effective legal advice. Avoid common interpretive pitfalls. You’ll also gain a deeper understanding of how the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act influences statutory interpretation, equipping you to deliver legally sound advice and advocacy aligned with judicial reasoning.

Presenters

Matt McKillop, Barrister, Masons Lane Chambers
Matt is a barrister at Masons Lane Chambers in Wellington with a broad public law practice. He has appeared as lead and junior counsel in courts at every level, from the Supreme Court to the Human Rights Review Tribunal, litigating a wide range of issues from human rights and discrimination law to judicial review, criminal appeals, and civil claims. He acts both for and against a range of Crown and public sector clients. Matt has a particular interest in mental health and disability, and its intersection with criminal law and legal capacity. Matt was previously a lawyer in the Constitutional and Human Rights team at Crown Law for nine years.

Christopher Finlayson KC, Bankside Chambers
Christopher Finlayson was born and educated in Wellington. After graduating with a BA in Latin and a LLM from Victoria University, he practised law in Wellington as a solicitor before going to the Bar in 2002. He was elected to Parliament in 2005 and became Attorney-General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in 2008. Mr Finlayson held those positions until October 2017. Mr Finlayson is a foundation author of McGechan on Procedure, the leading text on the practice and procedure of the Senior Courts of New Zealand. In 2018 he received a grant from the New Zealand Law Foundation to complete a book on the Crown Māori relationship, and he has also written a book on his time in Parliament with particular emphasis on his time as Attorney-General, published in 2022. In 2013 he represented New Zealand in the International Court of Justice in a case where Australia sued Japan seeking to stop commercial whaling in the Southern Oceans. New Zealand intervened and Mr Finlayson led the case for New Zealand. In 2020 he received an honorary LLD from Victoria University for his work as Treaty Minister.


Tim Smith, Barrister, Thorndon Chambers
Tim has a broad commercial and public law practice. Tim has previously been a partner at Bell Gully and, before that, Luke Cunningham Clere – prior to which he was a Crown Counsel at Crown Law. He has also been a barrister at a leading commercial chambers in London. Tim has worked extensively with commercial and public sector clients both as an advisor and advocate as required.

Matthew Smith KC, Thorndon Chambers
Matthew has a broad public and commercial law practice, encompassing regulatory, Māori, human rights, and environmental law, and with a special expertise in judicial review and the use of public law tools to achieve meaningful outcomes for clients. He works across the entire range of public law and has acted for public sector bodies (including Crown entities and commissions of inquiry), individuals, entities of many kinds (including companies, incorporated societies, trusts and Māori incorporations), industry groups, and NGOs. Matthew has appeared in all the higher courts, and in numerous specialist courts and tribunals, including the Waitangi Tribunal and the Māori Land Court. His non-litigation work tends to involve the provision of legal and strategic advice and support in a range of settings, including public inquiries, regulatory investigations, consultation processes, and Parliamentary/law reform processes. Matthew is the sole author of the New Zealand Judicial Review Handbook – a comprehensive text on judicial review in New Zealand that is now in its second edition.

Luke Borthwick, Barrister, Stout Chambers
Luke graduated from Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington in 2021 with an LLB and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) and was admitted to the bar in the same year. Before starting work at Stout Street Chambers Luke was an Assistant Crown Counsel at Te Tari Ture o Te Karauna | Crown Law in the Treaty Team. He worked part-time at Te Tai Ōhanga | The Treasury in the International and Legal teams during his studies.Luke has a particular interest in constitutional and administrative law and tort liability of public authorities.

Dr. Andrew Chen, Technology Ethics Researcher
Andrew trained as a computer engineer with a PhD from the University of Auckland, specialising in AI and machine learning. He then shifted his focus towards technology ethics, particularly the use of digital technology within the public sector. This included a stint as Chief Advisor: Technology Assurance with New Zealand Police, working at the intersection of technology, law enforcement, and criminal justice. He also organised the AI in Court moot series in 2025, looking at how AI-derived evidence may be treated in the courts in the near future.