Appointment Round For King's Counsel Announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced an appointment round for King's Counsel will take place in 2025.
Appointments of King's Counsel are made by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General and with the concurrence of the Chief Justice. The Governor-General retains the discretion to appoint King's Counsel in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the law in fields other than advocacy.
'The Solicitor-General will consult with the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association regarding the candidates,' Ms Collins says.
'They provide important input into the final decisions, and I value the role the profession plays here. Nevertheless, decisions to recommend are mine and I take account of the full range of criteria for appointment set out in the Guidelines.'
The guidelines and application form are available on the Crown Law website, and set out information about the appointment process.
Applications are open from 12 May to 9 June 2025, and it is expected appointments will be made in September 2025.
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Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Israeli-made drones not ruled out by NZDF
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Scoop
19 hours ago
- Scoop
Defence Helicopter, Plane Decisions Announced
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NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Government buying helicopters with Hellfire missiles, ‘precision kill system' as global tensions ramp up
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'These five Seahawks will increase the offensive and defensive capability and surveillance range of New Zealand's frigates, and ensure we're interoperable with our ally Australia, and our partner defence forces.' A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R from 725 Squadron launches a Hellfire missile in Florida, United States. Photo / Australian Defence Force Over recent years, Kiwis have been warned by various government agencies and ministers that the country is no longer in a benign strategic environment and is facing greater regional security challenges. A Ministry of Defence report last year said the 'use, and threat of use, of military power is increasingly shaping states' interactions' and explicitly stated that China's 'assertive pursuit of its strategic objectives is the new major driver for the new era of strategic competition among states'. 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Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says tensions are rising. Photo / Mark Mitchell Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said there are 'bad people in the world' who are 'seeking to do harm to us'. 'Even as we speak, there are people online who are trying to disrupt New Zealand politics. They go into our communities and try and incite people. This kind of thing, unfortunately, is a reality.' Asked about the need for a precision kill system, Seymour suggested deterrence was critical. 'We are part of an alliance of countries who share our values, who value democracy and universal human rights, and we need the ability to deter people who might try and attack us,' Seymour said. 'Can New Zealand defend itself alone? No, it can't. Can we defend ourselves in an Anzac alliance? Maybe. Can we defend ourselves as a wider democratic alliance? Definitely. But we have to play our part. 'One of the deterrents to people who would attack us is that if they attack us, we might kill them. That's how wars work, unfortunately. I'd rather not have one, but that's how they work.' Labour's deputy leader, Carmel Sepuloni, said her party thought the defence investment was necessary but acknowledged there would be New Zealanders 'out there who think the optics of this are terrible' given cost-of-living pressures and teachers' strikes this week. The Greens' foreign affairs spokesman, Teanau Tuiono, said the Government was sending the 'wrong message'. 'Particularly at this point in time, in the middle of the cost of living crisis and teachers are striking, nurses are striking, and people are really concerned about that,' he said. 'Here's the thing, they always seem to be able to find money for military spending and not enough for food on the table.' Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.
