Monday, 16 March 2026
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the legal status of New Zealand’s Government Procurement Rules and the extent to which they may be treated as policy or give rise to enforceable obligations
- Identify the grounds and key considerations for judicial review of government procurement decisions
Chair
James Riddoch, Commercial Barrister, Canterbury Chambers
Procurement Rules and the Courts: Enforceability and Judicial Review
- Legal status of the rules: policy vs enforceable
- Grounds for judicial review of procurement decisions
Presented by Bridie McKinnon, Partner, Buddle Findlay
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
Presenters
Bridie McKinnon, Partner, Buddle FindlayBridie has over 15 years' experience in a range of litigation matters in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Her experience includes contractual disputes, insolvency and credit recovery, securities enforcement, property disputes, regulatory investigations, judicial review and trust law issues. She has a particular interest in securities, insolvency and trust related matters. She is an author of the Practical Law digest on Farm Debt Mediation (Thomson Reuters) and is editor of Buddle Findlay's quarterly insolvency and restructuring newsletter.
James Riddoch, Commercial Barrister, Canterbury Chambers
James is a specialist front-end construction lawyer with expertise in the procurement, contracting, and delivery of construction projects across a range of industries. He also provides probity advice on significant and sensitive public sector projects. James joined Canterbury Chambers as a commercial barrister in May 2025 and was previously a partner in the construction team of a national firm. Earlier in his career he spent over a decade working in London where he was recommended by the UK Legal 500 for his work in development in the social housing sector. James sits on the South Island Regional Committee of Property Council New Zealand, is the immediate past Chair of the South Island Region, and a past director on Property Council’s national board. Prior to his move to the bar he was ranked by Chambers and Partners for construction. James has acted on, and provided procurement, contracting and in-project advice for major projects and programmes for Government ministries and Crown agents, local authorities (and their subsidiaries), contractors, owner developers, and consultants. He has experience in a range of sectors including social infrastructure (particularly social housing in New Zealand and the United Kingdom), residential, industrial, commercial, retail, hospitality, education, and primary (particularly dairy).
