Gain the confidence and clarity you need to navigate the increasingly complex and high‑profile coronial jurisdiction. Understand what to expect at each stage of an inquiry and how to engage effectively on behalf of your client or organisation. Drawing on real‑world experience from counsel involved in some of the country’s most significant coronial inquiries, you’ll learn how to manage evidential and procedural challenges, understand the strategic role of counsel and respond effectively to findings and recommendations. Whether you are new to the jurisdiction or seeking to strengthen your practice, gain valuable, actionable guidance to help you manage risk, advise with confidence and operate effectively in a highly public and evolving legal environment.
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
1.00pm to 2.00pm Navigating the Coronial Jurisdiction: A Practical Guide for Lawyers
The coronial jurisdiction is evolving rapidly with inquiries becoming larger, more complex, and increasingly public facing, yet it remains unfamiliar territory for many practitioners. Be equipped with a practical guide to coronial inquiries, an understanding of the stages of an inquiry, the role of counsel and the unique procedural considerations that arise in this jurisdiction. You’ll also build a clear, working understanding of how the Coroner’s Court operates and how to engage with inquiries effectively.
You will gain practical insights into:
- The fundamentals of the jurisdiction
- The life of a coronial inquiry from death to findings
- The Coroner’s statutory scope and powers
- The ways organisations and individuals become involved in coronial inquiries
- The role of Counsel in inquiries and inquests
- Evidential issues and procedural fairness
- The effect of a Coroner’s findings and recommendations
Presented by Christina Twyman, Partner, Regulatory & Prosecutions, Wynn Williams and Joshua Shaw, Partner, Regulatory & Prosecutions, Wynn Williams
About your presenters:
Joshua and Christina are currently counsel assisting in the Whakaari / White Island Coronial Inquiry – a large and complex inquiry arising from one of this country’s most significant mass-fatality events.
Joshua is also instructed by bereaved families in the Christchurch Masjidain Attack Coronial Inquiry
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the structure and operation of the coronial jurisdiction
- Understand the practical implications of coronial findings and recommendations, including how to engage effectively in inquiries and inquests, manage risk and respond strategically to outcomes in an increasingly public and complex environment.
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
Presenters
Christina Twyman, Partner, Regulatory & Prosecutions, Wynn Williams
Christina is a partner at Wynn Williams specialising in regulatory litigation and inquiries, with particular expertise in the coronial jurisdiction. She regularly acts as counsel assisting coroners across the country, as well as for interested parties and bereaved families involved in inquiries and inquests. Together with Joshua Shaw, Christina is currently counsel assisting in the Whakaari / White Island Coronial Inquiry, a large and complex inquiry arising from one of this country’s most significant mass-fatality events. Christina is recognised for her practical, experience-led advice and her ability to guide clients, other practitioners and Coroners through an increasingly demanding and public-facing jurisdiction. Her broader practice encompasses criminal, regulatory and professional disciplinary litigation, including appellate work and advice to statutory decision-makers. She was named one of NZ Lawyer’s “Future Legal Leaders” in 2025.
Joshua Shaw, Partner, Regulatory & Prosecutions, Wynn Williams
Joshua is a partner at Wynn Williams and leads the firm’s national dispute resolution practice. He has extensive experience in the coronial jurisdiction and is regularly appointed as counsel assisting coroners in inquires and inquests, as well as acting for interested parties and bereaved families. In addition to his appointment as counsel assisting in the Whakaari / White Island Coronial Inquiry, Josh is instructed by bereaved families in the Christchurch Masjidain Attack Coronial Inquiry, two of the most notable coronial inquiries undertaken in New Zealand’s history. A highly accomplished litigator, his wider practice involves regulatory enforcement and professional disciplinary litigation. Having spent 12 years as a Crown prosecutor, Joshua has appeared as lead counsel in more than 150 trials in the District Court and High Court, in addition to undertaking substantial appellate work.
