New QCs appointed

Four new Queen's Counsel appointed

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20 July 2005 Media Statement

Appointment of Queen's Counsel

Attorney-General Michael Cullen today announced the appointment of Tómas Kennedy-Grant, Helen Aikman, David Jones, and Professor John Burrows as Queen's Counsel.

Tòmas Kennedy-Grant graduated from Oxford and was an assistant public prosecutor and advocate in Zimbabwe as well as a barrister in England before moving to New Zealand in 1975. Since that time, he became a partner in Simpson Grierson Butler White and then a Master of the High Court. Mr Kennedy-Grant is currently an arbitrator, adjudicator, mediator and legal adviser, specialising in arbitration, construction law and medical law.

Helen Aikman graduated from Victoria University and was a barrister sole and then Principal State Solicitor in the Attorney-General's office in Samoa. In 1994, Ms Aikman joined the Crown Law Office as Crown Counsel. She was appointed Deputy Solicitor-General in 2002 and returned to the Bar in 2004. Ms Aikman specialises in public law and Treaty cases, and in June 2005 was appointed a Law Commissioner.

David Jones graduated from Auckland University and joined Meredith Connell & Co. In 1987 he became a barrister sole specialising in criminal law. Mr Jones is a member of the Auckland Crown Solicitor's prosecution panel and the Serious Fraud Office prosecutors panel.

Professor John Burrows graduated from the University of Canterbury. As a Commonwealth Scholar, he went on to complete a PhD from the London School of Economics. Professor Burrows has been lecturing at the University of Canterbury since 1967 and is the author of two textbooks, "Media Law in New Zealand" and "Statute Law in New Zealand". Professor Burrows is also a visiting Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge.

ENDS

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