Latest news with #NewZealandLawSociety
NZ Herald
11-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Fake lawyer sends cease-and-desist in Kaeo water quality dispute
Prior to sending the letter, Aldrige called the Northern Advocate advising that his lawyer would be sending a cease-and-desist to the resident. The letter was then sent to the resident and multiple media houses by an email address purporting to be from 'Manaki Law' and signed with a woman's name, along with a claim to hold a 'Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice' from Flinders University in Australia. Aldridge said he believed the woman was a lawyer and claimed he received a copy of the alleged lawyer's certificate from Flinders University after the Advocate questioned him on the legitimacy of the purported lawyer. But the Australian university said it had no record of her. Kaeo has been under a boil water notice for 10 years, with little end in sight. Photo / Yolisa Tswanya 'We can confirm no one with that name appears to have graduated from Flinders University,' a Flinders University spokesperson said. While the university offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Creative Arts, it doesn't offer a BVA, another qualification listed on the signature. In her signature she claims to hold a BA, BVA (Hons), and an LLB – a Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice and describes herself as a human rights advocate. A New Zealand Law Society spokesperson said the person [whose name is known by the Advocate] does not hold a current practising certificate and therefore is not a 'lawyer' for the purposes of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act. 'A person without a current practising certificate isn't a lawyer (even if they have a law degree, have been admitted in New Zealand or overseas or have previously held a practising certificate).' The society said a non-lawyer who provides legal services to the public must be careful that they accurately describe their qualifications, professional status and expertise to avoid misleading people. 'There are also certain 'reserved areas' of work that can only be provided by lawyers. These typically relate to giving advice on litigation matters and appearing in court or a tribunal. It is an offence for anyone who isn't a lawyer to provide services in the reserved areas (outside the exceptions) or to engage in misleading conduct relating to the provision of legal services.' The spokespersons said members of the public can raise concerns with it and the Law Society can investigate and may prosecute such offences. 'In relation to the specific concern raised in your email, we will pass this on to our regulatory team.' Aldridge said he believed she was a lawyer. 'What I do know is I have a certificate in my hand right now, that I got from Flinders University, a law degree.' He went on to say she was not acting on behalf of Kaeo water. 'Does it say she represents me on the document you've got on the email she sent you? No, she didn't.' Pressed more on what capacity she was sending the letter or whether she worked for Kaeo water, Aldridge responded 'that is none of your business...I'm not going to answer that question'. The resident said they were partly concerned about the letter as it included a threat to turn their water off. 'That would be a problem, because we need water. He has threatened that before and that would not be ideal,' she claimed. 'It's outrageous and threatening behaviour. He is being intimidating.' They said they have never said anything defamatory towards Aldridge and it's always been about getting clean water. 'All I have been saying is about the water, it has never been about him. I have never said anything about him.' Aldridge said he resorted to the cease-and-desist because he believed the resident attacked his character. 'The character thing is because in the media, [they] made comments about having to use rainwater and the water discolouring the clothing.' Water authority Taumata Arowai said they were not able to comment on the cease-and-desist letter. Acting head of operations Melinda Sando said: 'We have not seen the cease-and-desist letter so we cannot comment on its contents.'
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
New Zealand continues ban on popular UK names for intriguing reason
Several baby names have been banned in New Zealand despite their popularity on this side of the world Every country has their own rules on baby names and what titles they will allow or disallow. Choosing a baby name is one of life's toughest decisions, with some parents driven by tradition and others by uniqueness. While British parents typically have the freedom to name their children whatever they like, the UK Deed Police Office details certain strict guidelines to ensure some names will never appear on a birth certificate. On the flip side, New Zealand is upholding a ban on names that are actually increasingly popular in the UK and the US - specifically because they go against the nation's stringent naming regulations. Names with a Royal theme such as Prince, Princess, and King are favoured in several countries, including the UK. However, these violate rules laid down by the New Zealand Law Society. These stipulate that names must be under 70 characters, devoid of non-standard symbols, and not resemble official titles. An Official Information Act inquiry, reported by The Independent, reveals that the New Zealand government turned down applications for royal-themed names like King (11 requests), Prince (10 requests), Princess (4 requests) and the variant Pryncess (2 requests). In contrast, in the US, according to the US Social Security Administration, King was the 266th most popular baby name in 2023, followed by Royal at 402, Prince at 364, and Princess at 919. US courts generally interpret the Constitution as safeguarding parents' rights to name their child, resulting in a more relaxed approach to names. Some states do enforce restrictions around certain symbols, specific names, or titles such as King and Queen. In the UK, names like 'King' and 'Princess' could be rejected if it is believed they might mislead people. Names may also be prohibited if they contain offensive language or obscenity, include symbols, numbers, or punctuation marks, or are excessively long or difficult to pronounce. In the UK, there have been occasions where names such as 'King' and 'Princess' have met with rejection for official use, though many in the nation do carry these names. The UK Deed Poll Office states: "While we don't have an official list of banned names, we assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and names that could cause a child harm or confusion will likely be rejected." Figures from the site indicate that amongst girl's names, Princess sits at 73rd in terms of popularity, whereas Prince is positioned at 112th for boys. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The ONS commented: "Following Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, the names Elizabeth and Philip increased in popularity in England and Wales." It was noted, though, that "Royal names were less popular in 2023, which may be because of a variety of modern influences on baby names."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New Zealand Continues to Ban a Type of Name That's Wildly Popular in the US
We already knew this, but New Zealand has pretty strict naming rules. While it seems as though you can name kids anything and everything in the United States (and trust us, we've seen some rather unique names), New Zealand will downright reject names. In 2023, they primarily rejected royalty-based names like Queen, Royal, and Bishop; and now, the same thing is happening. New Zealand has primarily rejected royal-based names again in 2024, despite it growing rapidly in the United States. According to an Official Information Act inquiry, nearly 60,000 babies were born in New Zealand last year; and dozens of names were rejected. And once again, the most rejected name was King. See the rejected requests below: More from SheKnows The Newest List of Most Popular Baby Names Was Just Released - See What's Topping the Charts Now King — 11 requests Prince — 10 requests Princess — 4 requests Pryncess — 2 requests Bishop — 1 request Crown — 1 request Crownos — 1 request Duke — 1 request Emperor — 1 request Kingi — 1 request Kingz — 1 request Kyng — 1 request Lady — 1 request Magesty — 1 request Prinz — 1 request Prynce — 1 request Queen — 1 request Roil — 1 request Royal — 1 request Royallty — 1 request Now, per the New Zealand Law Society, names should be less than 70 characters long, and it won't be accepted if it 'resembles an official title or rank' or are made up of symbols that aren't international characters like macrons or umlauts. While these may be a no-go in New Zealand, the US is very different. In fact, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration, they're rising in the ranks in the past few years! King was ranked 266 of the most popular names in 2023, Royal was ranked 402, Prince was ranked 364, and Princess was ranked 919, to name a few. And if you look at the data, these royal baby names are all climbing the ranks year-over-year in the of SheKnows Beyoncé, Chris Hemsworth, & More Celebs Share the Most Important Life Lessons They've Learned From Their Moms Recent Baby & Toddler Product Recalls Every Parent and Caregiver Should Know About Celebrity Moms Who Were Honest About Miscarriage & Pregnancy Loss — Because It Matters
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Appointment Round For King's Counsel Announced
Press Release – New Zealand Government The Solicitor-General will consult with the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Bar Association regarding the candidates, Ms Collins says. Attorney-General 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.
Scoop
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Appointment Round For King's Counsel Announced
Attorney-General 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.
