Tony has had 3 successes at the United Nations Human Rights Committee, no other New Zealand lawyer has ever won a case against New Zealand. Also the first win at the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in A v New Zealand.

He also has the significant Privy Council win in R v Taito which together with the follow up case in the Court of Appeal of R v Smith meant that some ten years of legal aid appeals in the Court of Appeal (1500 cases) were unlawful. This was repeated in Marteley v The Legal Services Commissioner Supreme Court 2015.

Reported Cases and Other Work

See side menu for details of past work

Special Practice Areas

Tony will accept cases in the following areas in the High Court or above:

Litigation

Judicial Review on a wide range of public law matters

New Zealand Bill of Rights cases - Civil - or Criminal pre-trial or trial

Civil actions against the Goverment eg Police or Department of Corrections

Constitutional Law

Criminal - Serious Crimes or Appeal work

Discrimination

Extradition

Habeas Corpus

Human Rights actions

Intellectual Disability

International Human Rights - Challenges especially to the UN Human Rights Committee or UN Committee against Torture

Immigration Appeals or Judicial Reviews

Mental Health

Prisoners Rights

Public and Administrative Law

Sentencing appeals especially Preventive Detention or sentences over 10 years

NB Tony will do District Court work, if the issues are particularly important.

Only limited legal aid can be done in the District Court due to legal aid changes.

Tony will not generally accept Family Court work or work involving childhood or other historical abuse claims.