Statutory interpretation sits at the heart of legal practice, whether you are advising clients, making decisions under legislation, developing compliance frameworks, or conducting litigation. Gain the tools and confidence to interpret legislation effectively, from applying context, purpose and extrinsic materials to constructing persuasive statutory arguments and avoiding common interpretive pitfalls. Benefit from practical guidance from experienced public law barristers, explore lessons from recent cases and develop a deeper understanding of how statutory interpretation shapes litigation and advice drafting, judicial review proceedings, administrative decision-making and the exercise of statutory powers across a wide range of practice areas.

Presenters

Monique Van Alphen Fyfe, Barrister, Stout Street Chambers
Monique is a civil litigator focused on public law, Tiriti o Waitangi, and Māori legal issues. She acts for a range of clients – including commercial and public sector bodies, Treaty settlement entities, and charitable trusts – and has appeared in all the superior courts, as well as specialist forums such as the Waitangi Tribunal, Human Rights Review Tribunal, and the Māori Land and Appellate Courts. Monique teaches property law at Te Herenga Waka, and is a member of the Law Society’s Human Rights and Privacy Committee.


Bronagh McKenna, Barrister, Kate Sheppard Chambers
Bronagh is an experienced litigator specialising in public law, human rights and international law. She has acted for government, international organisations and corporates, and appears regularly in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Before joining the bar, Bronagh was Crown Counsel at Crown Law, advising government departments and other Crown agencies on the exercise of statutory powers, compliance with administrative law duties, the scope of rights under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, the extent of New Zealand's international law obligations and their domestic implementation, and inquiry-related issues. Earlier in her career, Bronagh spent over seven years as a prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Before that, she practised as a competition lawyer at leading London law firm Slaughter and May.


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.