Join Judges, KCs and leading Crown Prosecutors from across New Zealand to tackle the most contested issues in criminal practice, from the expanding battleground of propensity evidence and the complex interface between mental health and criminal responsibility, to the reliability of voice and visual identification, gang-related testimony, and proceeds of crime prosecutions. Take a deep dive into sentencing reform from the Bench’s perspective, the implications of AI on criminal practice and the fast-evolving landscape of cybercrime and digital evidence. Gain practical strategies, tips, traps and insights plus a rare opportunity to connect directly with the country’s foremost experts in criminal law.

Presenters

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.

Warren Brookbanks, Professor, Auckland University of Technology
An internationally recognised authority in criminal law, mental health law, criminal justice and non-adversarial justice, Warren is Professor of Criminal Law and Justice Studies at AUT. With a particular interest in therapeutic jurisprudence, he is also the founder and Director of AUT’s Centre for Non-Adversarial Justice. Warren thoroughly enjoys teaching criminal law and mental health law and is dedicated to encouraging and supporting new lines of research in AUT’s Law School. He is currently planning novel research and programmes in association with the Centre for Non-Adversarial Justice, and beyond this has already established a broader programme of research and interdisciplinary collaboration

Her Hon. Judge CM Ryan, Judge, The District Court of New Zealand
Judge Claire Ryan has been a District Court Judge for 12 years. She now works mainly in the area of therapeutic jurisprudence: in the family violence court which she leads and in the mental health and youth courts. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Ryan was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1985, then moved to Melbourne in 1990, where she was admitted to the bars of the Federal Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of ACT in 1990, and the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1993. She returned to New Zealand in 1995 where she practised as a family and employment lawyer, defence counsel then as a Crown prosecutor. Judge Ryan has been involved in judging at the World Schools Debating Championships since 1988. She is an amateur astronomer who enjoys teaching others to recognise constellations, chases solar eclipses and dreams of discovering a comet. She is a very amateur watchmaker with a passion for collecting Swatches.

Yvonne Mortimer-Wang, Barrister, Britomart Chambers
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.

Campbell McKenzie, Director, Incident Response Solutions
Campbell is the Founder and Director of Incident Response Solutions Limited, providing forensic, cyber security and crisis management services. Campbell was previously a Director at PwC New Zealand (12 years) and led PwC's national "forensic technology" practice, and the Auckland "cyber security" practice, a combined team of 11 expert staff. Prior to PwC, Campbell was a founding member of NZ Police's Electronic Crime Laboratory (4.5 years) and as an expert witness, he specialises in electronic investigations, cybercrime incident response and eDiscovery matters. He is recognised by the District and High Courts of New Zealand as a forensic technology expert and has also been appointed as an independent expert by the High Court. Campbell understands how critical it is for law firms to mitigate the cyber risks they face. Therefore in 2020, Incident Response Solutions published the "Cyber Security Guide for NZ Law Firms", a contextual resource to assist lawyers and law firms manage their cyber security risk


Marie Taylor-Cyphers, Barrister, Verus Chambers
Marie Taylor Cyphers is an accomplished criminal barrister based in Auckland. Beginning her legal journey in 2007, Marie was generously trained by David Tait KC (Brisbane) and Len Andersen KC (Dunedin). She has worked hard to carve out an authentic advocacy style. She is experienced in the full range of cases that come before the criminal court where her persuasive submissions are marked by strategic clarity and a rigorous command of case law. As Head of Verus Chambers, she combines rigorous legal knowledge with sound insight into sentencing principles and human behaviour. Marie is widely respected for her approach to sentencing —balancing novel and established authorities, realistic concessions, offender background, and victim impact—to achieve the best possible outcome which must be one that minimises risk of ongoing harm; an outcome that rehabilitates and reintegrates the offender wherever possible. When given the opportunity to repay the favours of others and share these insights, Marie brings a warm and conversational teaching style: she pairs high-level legal analysis with real world case examples and interactive discussions. Her goal is to grow with the profession, sharpening our focus to improve outcomes across the board. Marie’s dedication to legal excellence and her empathetic, accessible approach make her a reliable guide for practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of sentencing law.

Stephanie Earl, Partner, Meredith Connell
Stephanie specialises in criminal proceeds recovery and public law and regulatory litigation. She is trusted for her expertise in applications for restraint and forfeiture of assets, judicial review proceedings and specialist tribunal proceedings and appeals.

Todd Simmonds KC, Barrister, Lorne Street 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.

Genevive Vear, Appeals Counsel, Public Defence Service
Genevive is a senior lawyer and appeals counsel at the Public Defence Service. She has been with the PDS since 2009 and has appeared in a wide range of criminal matters in the lower and higher Courts across this time. She currently specialises in appellate work, with a special interest and expertise in mental health related matters. Her LLM (first class) from Auckland University specialised in mental health. She has written and spoken regularly on CPMIP related matters.