Simon Mount appointed to Legislation Advisory Committee

Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson has appointed Simon Mount to the Legislation Advisory Committee. The Committee is an advisory body for Government, and provides advice on various public law issues. Membership of the committee comprises public law experts drawn from the legal profession, the judiciary, universities, government and the economic professions

Appointment to Arbitration Panel of Dubai International Arbitration Centre

Warwick Smith has recently been appointed to the Arbitration Panel of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre.

Kit Toogood appointed as Judge of the High Court

Bankside Chambers is proud to announce that Christoper (Kit) Holden Toogood QC has been appointed a Judge of the High Court. Kit graduated with an LLB from Victoria University in 1972. After 18 years as a partner in Wellington firms he joined the independent bar in 1990, becoming a Queen?s Counsel in 1999. Kit was sworn in at Auckland on 11 March 2011 and will join former Bankside Chambers' members Justice Peters and Justice Woodhouse sitting in Auckland.

Bankside Pupil to study at Stanford

Toby Futter, Bankside's inaugural pupil, has been offered a position in the highly competitive LL.M. class at Stanford Law School. In his two year term at Bankside Toby has acted as sole or junior counsel in a broad range of civil, regulatory, and quasi-criminal proceedings. He will study law, science and technology at Stanford as a Rotary Foundation Goodwill Ambassadorial Scholar, commencing in the fall semester, 2011.

Bankside opens office in 'state of the art' Singaporean facility

Bankside Chambers has opened an office in Maxwell Chambers, Singapore. Since its highly successful opening in 2010, Maxwell Chambers has become widely regarded as the world’s leading integrated dispute resolution facility. Bankside joins a notable group of arbitration institutions and leading practitioners at Maxwell Chambers, including ICSID, ICC, SIAC, LCIA, PCA, ICDR, WIPO, CIARB, Essex Court Chambers, and 20 Essex Street.

Bankside’s move into the Singapore market has been led by a trio of New Zealand’s pre-eminent international arbitrators: David A R Williams QC, Professor Campbell McLachlan QC, and Sir Ian Barker QC. The move has been driven by their growing involvement in Singapore’s expanding ADR market as well as confidence in the future of Singapore as the preferred arbitral seat in the Asia-Pacific Region. Speaking on behalf of Bankside Chambers, David Williams said it was a privilege to be able to secure space in the world’s most advanced dispute resolution facility.

Pike River Royal Commission

Simon Mount has been appointed one of two counsel assisting the Pike River Royal Commission of Inquiry, together with Christchurch barrister James Wilding. The three Commissioners are the Hon Justice Panckhurst (Chair), Stewart Bell and David Henry. The Royal Commission has broad terms of reference to inquire into the causes of the explosions in the Pike River Mine, the way the rescue and recovery operations were handled, the systems in place in the mine, the relevant legislative framework for mining and its implementation, and international practice.

Appointment to Court of Arbitration for Sport

Kit Toogood QC has joined fellow Bankside Chambers members David Williams QC and Hon Barry Paterson QC on the panel of arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The CAS is an institution independent of any sports organisation which provides services for facilitating the settlement of sports-related disputes through arbitration or mediation. The CAS Panel has nearly 300 arbitrators from 87 countries, chosen for their specialist knowledge of arbitration and sports law. Kit is a former Deputy Chairperson of the New Zealand Sports Tribunal, and becomes one of six New Zealand arbitrators currently serving on the CAS Panel.

Simon Mount appointed Director of the Legal Research Foundation

Simon Mount, a recent addition to Bankside Chambers, has been appointed Director of the Legal Research Foundation. Simon has been a member of the Foundation’s Council since 1994, and regards the Foundation as an important link between the profession, the University of Auckland Law Faculty, and the judiciary. As director he will be seeking to maintain the Foundation’s excellent record of promoting law reform, scholarship and high-level research across a broad range of legal topics.

Peter Watts joins Fountain Court

Professor Peter Watts has been made a door tenant of Fountain Court in London. Fountain Court is one of England’s largest and best-known sets of commercial chambers. Currently headed by Timothy Dutton QC, it has 27 Queen's Counsel as members, and 34 other fulltime barristers. Peter will continue to hold a door tenancy at Bankside Chambers.

Kate Davenport appointed to Film and Literature Board

Kate Davenport has been appointed as one of nine members of the Film and Literature Board of Review. The Board is the independent body which reviews the classification of publications referred to it by the courts or the Office of Film and Literature Classification following classification decisions. Kate’s appointment will be for a three year term.

Mary Peters appointed as Judge of the High Court

Bankside Chambers is proud to announce that Mary Peters has been appointed a Judge of the High Court. Mary graduated with an LLB from Victoria University in 1985. She practised with Russell McVeagh in Auckland between 1995 and 2004, being made partner in 1997. She joined the bar in 2004. Mary will be sworn in at Auckland on 20 August 2010 and will join former Bankside Chambers’ members Justice Stevens and Justice Woodhouse sitting in Auckland.

Sir Ian Barker QC appointed as President of Cook Islands Court of Appeal, Tom Weston QC as Chief Justice of High Court, David Williams QC to Court of Appeal

After several years as a judge of the Cook Islands Court of Appeal, Sir Ian Barker QC has been appointed as its President. David Williams QC will join Sir Ian as a permanent member of that Court after six years of service as Chief Justice of the High Court. Tom Weston QC, who recently joined Bankside Chambers and has served as a judge of the High Court for some four years, has replaced David Williams as Chief Justice. The new appointments took effect in May and June 2010.

Kate Davenport and Maria Dew appointed to High Court Panel of Mediators

Kate Davenport and Maria Dew have been appointed to the first Panel of Mediators for a pilot private mediation scheme at the Auckland High Court. The Panel is comprised of fifteen experienced legal practitioners who are all qualified and experienced in mediation. The pilot commenced in November 2009 and is aimed at reducing the number of full hearings in order to free up judicial time and hopefully to lead to the faster resolution of disputes.

Peter Watts’ “Directors’ Powers and Duties” wins Book Award

Professor Peter Watts’ new book Directors' Powers and Duties has been awarded the JF Northey Memorial Book Award for 2009. The annual award is the Legal Research Foundation’s prize for best book published by a New Zealand-based author, and is widely regarded as the premier legal writing award in New Zealand.

David Williams QC appointed University of Auckland's first Honorary Professor of Law

The Faculty of Law at The University of Auckland has appointed David A.R. Williams QC as its first Honorary Professor. Professor Williams is a long standing lecturer at the University, having variously taught taxation, evidence, medico-legal problems, and environmental law, as well as many arbitration courses on a part-time basis since 1967.

The Dean of Law, Professor Paul Rishworth, says the Faculty is delighted to have attracted Professor Williams to its senior ranks. "His experience and knowledge will strengthen our teaching and research in international arbitration as well as in his other specialist fields." Professor Williams will continue to teach an LLM course in international arbitration and will take other courses by arrangement.

Rebecca Edwards admitted to practice in Cook Islands

Rebecca Edwards has been permanently admitted to practice as a barrister of the High Court of the Cook Islands. Rebecca has practiced in that jurisdiction since 2003, and has frequently appeared before the Cook Islands High Court and Court of Appeal.

Professor Peter Watts launches Directors' Powers and Duties; a "consummate work of scholarship"

Professor Peter Watts has published Directors' Powers and Duties, described by the Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias at the book's launch on 25 November as "a consummate work of scholarship".

Published by Lexis Nexis, the text provides practitioners and students with a full treatment of one of the most important and complex aspects of company law: directors' powers and duties, and touches knowledgeably upon the law of agency, fiduciaries, equitable remedies, the treatment of knowledge and recklessness, and much more. Directors' Powers and Duties is available at legal bookshops, and can also be bought online.

Bankside members among first New Zealanders to attend ABA Advanced Advocacy Course

In January 2010, chambers members Rebecca Edwards and Jane Glover attended the Australian Bar Association Advanced Advocacy Course in Brisbane. The week-long course has been run each year since 2007, but this was the first year New Zealand barristers were invited to intend. The course involves intensive practice sessions and critiques of key advocacy skills, such as opening addresses, examination in chief, cross examination and closing submissions. The New Zealand attendees' contributions were praised, and the invitation is likely to be extended again next year.