Richard is a specialist litigator with a focus on criminal and regulatory prosecutions, public law and civil litigation. He has particular experience in health and safety and professional disciplinary prosecutions and has also acted in, and advised on, judicial review proceedings and civil disputes involving public institutions.
Richard has appeared as counsel in the District and High Courts, and the Court of Appeal. He has also appeared in several of New Zealand’s Tribunals, in arbitrations seated in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom, mediations and judicial settlement conferences. He is a designated Crown Prosecutor.
Richard regularly acts for regulators and professional bodies, including WorkSafe, Maritime New Zealand, the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Real Estate Agents Authority. He has previously provided advice concerning disputes involving the Official Assignee, the New Zealand Customs Service and the Ministry of Primary Industries.
Recent and notable work:
Regulatory
Acting and appearing for Maritime New Zealand and WorkSafe in respect of prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, including Maritime New Zealand v Fullers Group Ltd [2020] NZDC 10157.
Acting and appearing for Maritime New Zealand in Prosecutions under the Maritime Transport Act and for the Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board under the Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Act 2006.
Acting and appearing in appeals before the New Zealand Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal and subsequent appeals to the High Court. Counsel in the first cases to consider Tribunal’s new jurisdiction to accept late appeals and award costs: Matson v the Real Estate Agents Authority (CAC 410) [2019] NZREADT 9; Complaints Assessment Committee 521 v Wright [2019] NZREADT 56.
Acting on prosecution of charges of misconduct, serious misconduct or referral following conviction before the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal. Counsel in Evans v Complaints Assessment Committee [2019] NZDC 22471, regarding the justiciability of an appeal against a refusal to grant a non-publication order.
Public
Providing advice in respect of a large mixed judicial review / New Zealand Bill of Rights claim filed against a Government Department.
Acting in a dispute with MPI regarding the interpretation of an Import Health Standard issued under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and the relevant compensation provisions of that enactment.
Defending numerous applications for habeas corpus filed against public bodies.
Junior counsel in the Court of Appeal: Angus v Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board [2020] NZCA 303, opposing leave for a further appeal against a regarding a decision not to register a person as a certifying plumber.
Other
Richard is the Secretary of the New Zealand Branch of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand (MLAANZ) and an Associate Member of the Arbitrators and Mediator’s Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ)