Thursday, 26 February 2026
Chair
Matt McKillop, Barrister, Masons Lane Chambers
Learning Objectives:
- Apply practical techniques to interpret legislation and construct effective statutory arguments in litigation and advisory contexts
- Identify common interpretive pitfalls and develop strategies to ensure accurate statutory compliance in advice and drafting
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
Practical & Professional Skills
- How to frame statutory arguments in litigation
- Drafting advice and statutory compliance for in-house and government lawyers
- Avoiding interpretive pitfalls when advising clients or drafting contracts referencing legislation
- Practical exercises in construing complex statutory provisions
Presented by Tim Smith, Barrister, Thorndon Chambers
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.
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.
