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.

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.