Steve O’Connor
Partner - Tumuaki
LLB (Auckland) BA (Australian National University)
Contact
sbco@lcc.co.nz
+64 4 472 1043
+64 27 283 3441
Steve is an experienced civil and criminal litigator with particular expertise in criminal and regulatory enforcement litigation, and public law. In addition to prosecuting serious crime, Steve advises and represents government departments and regulatory bodies such as the Department of Internal Affairs, Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Disabled People | Whaikaha, the SPCA, and the Financial Markets Authority
Steve has acted on major class action litigation and private prosecutions. He has been involved in public commissions of inquiry including the UK Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and the ongoing NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. He has previously acted and provided advice in respect of professional disciplinary investigations, regulatory enforcement action by the FMA, Department of Corrections, Electricity Authority and UK-based regulators such as the Charity Commission and The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).
Before joining LCC Steve worked at the office of the Auckland Crown Solicitor for two periods totaling five years. In between those periods Steve worked in the United Kingdom for the Financial Conduct Authority’s Enforcement and Market Oversight team, and conducted judicial review proceedings on behalf of the UK Home Secretary in respect of human rights, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking claims.
Recent and notable work:
Regulatory:
Lead counsel in a private prosecution for the SPCA involving 58 criminal charges under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and a six week Judge-Alone Trial in the Auckland District Court.
Acting as second counsel in an eight week High Court trial in a complex fraud prosecution brought by the Financial Markets Authority: R v Robertson [2020] NZCA 218.
Part of the FCA legal team investigating serious allegations of a large investment firm breaching fund mandates (Henderson Investment Funds Limited, 2017).
Public:
Preparing the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report in response to the 3 September 2021 LynnMall terror attack.
Representing Oranga Tamariki in respect of proceedings brought in the Human Rights Review Tribunal under the Privacy Act 2019.
Representing Oranga Tamariki and the Department of Corrections in respect of young defendants charged with murder.
Acting as counsel to faith-based respondents in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care (2021-present).
Leading the British Council’s preparatory response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA, formerly known as the ‘Goddard Inquiry’), the largest statutory inquiry in English and Welsh history (2016).
General criminal:
Prosecuting sexual violence jury trials on behalf of the Wellington Crown Solicitor in the District Court.
Appearing as second counsel in three murder trials in the High Court, 2014, 2015 (R v Fahey [2015] NZHC 78) and 2021 (R v Simeon [2021] NZHC 1371).
Classified by the Crown Law Office as intermediate prosecutor in 2016. Over 400 appearances in the District and High Courts of New Zealand as Crown counsel in jury and judge-alone trials, bail, sentencing and pre-trial hearings.
Specialist Youth Court prosecutor