Faculty of Law Dean's Address

Happy New Year | Ngā mihi o te tau hou

I trust that you had a fun-filled Christmas break. Looking back on 2025 while 2026 has started provides a great perspective. I am struck by the extraordinary breadth of activity, achievement, and connection across Te Kaupeka Ture | The Faculty of Law. 2025 was a turbulent year: rich in academic, professional, and community‑building activity and achievements, yet also one marked by deep sadness as we farewelled two cherished members of our whānau.

Our whānau is the heart of our Law School and we were delighted to add it and to welcome new colleagues Dr Abigail Osiki, Dr Isa Alade, Tamahou Thoms, and Bill Burke. We sadly farewelled our kairāhi Dee Tawhai but were delighted to welcome alumna Ariana Johansson as our new one. These new colleagues, along with the ongoing engagement and achievements of our existing whānau, contributed to a vibrant and dynamic year of teaching, research, and engagement of which you can read in this newsletter.

A highlight was moving into our new home in the Karl Popper building. Having the Chief Justice join us to mark the occasion underscored the significance of this move. The new space has already transformed the way our students and staff connect—with each other and with the wider profession.

Our academic accomplishments in 2025 are highlighted by the long list of publications and our engagement with colleagues, the profession, and policy makers. The impact of our research and the achievements of my colleagues has been recognised with fellowships, awards, promotions, and professional appointments—including Professor Neil Boister’s election as a Royal Society Fellow, Professor Natalie Baird’s reappointment to the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Professor Debra Wilson’s appointment to Chair of the Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology, Dr James Mehigan’s admission to the Bar, and the appointments of Kathryn Dalziel and James Rapley KC as Adjunct Professors of Practice. The LEAD Institute continued to strengthen its global standing with impactful work in law, emergencies, and disaster response, inter alia, hosting the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Kamal Kishore. 

Our students are the linchpin of the Faculty. Please read about their achievements but also about their life at UC and the Faculty here through their own words. 

Yet 2025 also brought profound loss. We mourned the passing of our colleague Professor Helen Farley in July and our finance business partner, Liz Sawyer, in October. Helen’s dedication to criminal justice education and her unwavering support for students left an indelible mark on this Faculty. Liz’s energy, generosity, and presence were felt across every part of our work. We miss them both greatly, and we honour their contributions in all that we continue to do.

Throughout the year, our Faculty hosted an exceptional range of events—from the SLAPPs research symposium in London to the LSAANZ Conference here in Ōtautahi, from Bill of Rights Act commemorations to Pacific Law Talanoa, from thought‑provoking public lectures to mock trials exploring AI in the courts. Each event reflected what makes our community so special: intellectual curiosity, critical engagement, and a commitment to serving society.

As we move into 2026, I want to thank all of you—our alumni, friends, and partners—for your ongoing support. Your engagement sustains our mission, enriches the experience of our students, and strengthens the Faculty’s role as a leader in legal education and scholarship in Aotearoa and beyond. 

I would like to draw your attention to two events in the first quarter of the year: we would like to celebrate our move to Karl Popper with another Great Debate on 27 February this time at the Karl Popper building. On 12 and 13 March we will host the Christchurch Conference on International and Transnational Legal Frameworks which will see, inter alia UC alumni, discussing international dispute resolution developments.

We look forward to staying connected with you in the year ahead.

Noho ora mai