Events Full house farewells ADLS President Marie Dyhrberg KC

On 29 March, an uncharacteristically cold autumn night in downtown Auckland, members of the judiciary and the legal profession crammed into the rooftop bar of the So/Auckland hotel to honour outgoing ADLS President, Marie Dyhrberg KC.

After three years at the helm – the maximum time a president can hold office under ADLS’ rules – and two terms on the ADLS Council, Dyhrberg was bowing out, handing over the reins to fellow councillor Tony Herring.

Chosen to welcome Dyhrberg that night and comment on her contribution to the profession was former High Court judge Dame Judith Potter, who described Dyhrberg as a “natural leader” with the empathy that enabled her to “work with and for the benefit of the full range of humankind”.

Her ADLS presidency had been “remarkable” and “outstanding”, Dame Judith, a former ADLS president herself, said. “You are, quite simply, a taonga.”

Not only had she held office during a critical period in the development of ADLS, but during that time Dyhrberg had also been a valuable member of a Heads of Bench group, set up by the chief justice and chaired by Chief High Court Judge Susan Thomas to ensure the courts operated efficiently and safely during covid and continue to address the more recent challenges caused by flooding.

Dame Judith noted that Dyhrberg had also served as convenor of the ADLS Criminal Law Committee for 15 years and was a member of the ADLS Parole Committee. This was “a huge contribution”, Dame Judith said, which Dyhrberg, as a leader of the criminal bar, had made “so ably and comprehensively”. In addition, she had been a mentor to newly appointed and admitted barristers for the past 35 years, with a particular focus on south Auckland, where Dyhrberg was hugely respected. She was the first female chair of the International Bar Association’s criminal law committee and the first woman president of the Criminal Bar Association.

As a leader of the defence bar, Dyhrberg had served the public and the judicial system with “outstanding ability, courage, wisdom, empathy and at all times utter professionalism”, Dame Judith said.

“I can say from first-hand experience that when Marie appeared as counsel before me in the High Court, as she did on so many occasions in the 15 years that I was sitting, I could and did trust absolutely her integrity and her honesty. Counsel who consistently offer those attributes make a significant impact and contribution to the judicial process. It was always a pleasure to have Marie appearing.”

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Offices Available

Following some barristers retiring, we have three offices of varying sizes available for rent.

The Chambers share a refurbished floor (with separate areas) with Hussey & Co., a boutique forensic and general accounting firm. There are shared meeting rooms (a formal boardroom with video conferencing facilities and a less formal meeting room), and communal entrance and client waiting area. Telephones, internet connection, printing and secretarial services also available and some furniture available.

Cost depends on office size and range from $150 – $300 per week plus gst. No long-term commitment required.

Photographs of the Chambers can be viewed at www.hco.co.nz/gallery.

Contact: Shane Hussey for further details, Shane@hco.co.nz

09 300 5481

Relief Coroner

Applications are invited from persons wishing to be considered for appointment as a full-time relief coroner. Appointment will be for a three-year term. Location is negotiable.

Relief coroners are appointed under section 104 of the Coroners Act 2006. The role of coroners is to establish when, where, how and why a death happened, and also to determine whether anything can be done differently that might prevent similar deaths in the future.

To be appointed as a relief coroner the Act requires that you must have held a practising certificate as a barrister or solicitor for at least five years.

A position description and application forms are available from the Ministry of Justice website here

The close-off for expressions of interest is 4pm 21 April 2023.