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 practises in civil litigation, with particular expertise in public law, resource management law, Tiriti o Waitangi law, and indigenous legal issues. Her experience includes acting for clients in claims for and against government agencies, in general commercial litigation and arbitration, in Tiriti and settlement litigation, and in claims before international institutions. She has appeared in a number of notable cases of public interest and in a range of forums, including the Waitangi Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. Alongside her litigation work, Monique is committed to advancing law reform and encouraging legal development. She is an adjunct lecturer in property law at Victoria University | Te Herenga Waka focussing on native title and tikanga in relation to land, and is a member of a number of committees, including: the New Zealand Law Society Human Rights and Privacy Committee; the Wellington branch Women in Law Committee; and the New Zealand Bar Association Advocacy Committee.


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.