Te Piringa, Faculty of Law - University of Waikato

Join us 4.30–5.30pm (NZDT), Friday 20 February 2026 for a public lecture with global human rights expert Kenneth Roth, 'Defending Human Rights in a Hostile World'.

Kenneth Roth is the Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a columnist for Guardian US.

Register now to attend in-person (capped at 50 seats) or online (unlimited)
🔗 https://forms.office.com/r/UbAtA8aLyG

The University of Waikato Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences

Are you graduating in 2026 and looking for the first step in your legal career? Start 2027 off the right way working as a Judges Clerk at the Ministry of Justice!

👇Click below to submit your application by 15 February 2026.

https://apply.justice.govt.nz/jobs/MOJ-1887964

The University of Waikato

Judges Clerks 2027 | Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts | Multiple Locations | Careers | Ministry of Justice New Zealand Judges Clerks 2027 | Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts | Multiple Locations | Careers | Ministry of Justice New Zealand

Last week we hosted the 2025 Outer Space Virtual Law Conference, bringing together experts from 15+ countries, including New Zealand, France, Romania, Ireland, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, the USA, the UK, Poland, Greece, India, Ecuador, Singapore, and Malta.

The conference explored how human rights principles can guide space activities, ensuring ethical and sustainable practices as humanity ventures beyond Earth.

Highlights included:
🔹Panels exploring rights-based approaches to orbital congestion and mega-constellations
🔹Discussions on the right to food in outer space in the context of gene technology
🔹Legal and human rights implications of AI in space commerce and environmental rights beyond Earth
🔹Emphasis on practical human rights frameworks for future space settlement and governance
🔹Corporate due diligence and private sector responsibility for human rights in outer space.

A huge thank you to all speakers, contributors and attendees for shaping such a forward-looking and impactful event.

The University of Waikato Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences

Congratulations to our very own Rachel Tan, Lecturer in the School of Law, Politics, and Philosophy, who has been awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Medal for Staff Excellence 👏

Rachel has earned widespread respect for her capacity to connect with others in ways that have profound and positive outcomes. Known for her unwavering support of both staff and students, she consistently goes above and beyond, providing guidance, reassurance, and practical solutions in even the most complex situations. Rachel stands as a true embodiment of staff excellence, upholding the University’s values in everything she does.


The University of Waikato

Our thanks to those who attended our annual Norris Ward McKinnon lecture, featuring Justice Michelle O'Bonsawin.

If you missed this in-person lecture, be sure to check out the online recording (link in the comments 👇).

We’re excited to share that the Waikato Law Review 2023–2024 (Vol. 31) is now available!

Published by Te Piringa Faculty of Law at The University of Waikato, Taumauri – the Waikato Law Review highlights fresh ideas and critical perspectives on key legal issues in Aotearoa.

This edition features contributions from some of the country’s most respected legal figures - Sir David Baragwanath, Justice Whata, Judge Warren, and Emeritus Professor Margaret Wilson - along with up-and-coming legal professionals Nicole Cutler and Cullen White.

We’re proud to have Harkness Henry as the sponsor of this issue.

Take a look at the latest edition and explore the ideas shaping Aotearoa’s legal landscape, link in the comments below 👇

Congratulations to Harkness Henry on celebrating 150 years of legal excellence, community service, and Waikato pride 🎉

We're especially proud to see so many of our Te Piringa, Faculty of Law alumni helping to shape the Harkness Henry story!



The University of Waikato University of Waikato Alumni & Friends Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences

Hamilton’s oldest law firm turns 150 The city of Hamilton was barely more than a muddy river town when Harkness Henry first opened its doors in 1875.

What a great turn out of future world leaders for this Model United event run by Rototuna Junior and Senior High Schools!

Another successful year for the National Secondary Schools' Mooting Competition! The competition attracted 21 strong teams from 14 schools around Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Levin and Havelock North 👏

The mooting scenario, which was based on climate change and Tikanga Māori, were complex and challenging and the teams that participated got a wonderful experience and immense satisfaction by grappling with the complexities of climate change litigation and exploring the place of Tikanga Māori vis a vis common law. The calibre of students demonstrated exceptional drafting and mooting skills.

The finals between the two most outstanding teams from Hamilton Boys' High School (represented by Tanyon Osborne and Connor Downey-Parish) and Rototuna Junior and Senior High Schools (represented by Lusia Sasso and Ellen Li) could not have been more exciting!

🥇 Congratulations to the winners of this year's competition, Hamilton Boys' High School

🏆 Best Mooter Award went to Connor Downey-Parish (Hamilton Boys' High School)

🏆 Best Māori Mooter Award went to Flynn Moodie (Tauranga Boys' College)

Te Piringa thanks McCaw Lewis Lawyers for their sponsorship of this competition. It also thanks Judge Phil Connell and lawyers Sara Cameron, Preston Rawiri, Gabrielle Coleman, Renee Clark, Andrew Hong, Sade Sadd, Anastasia Cox, Tamzyn Prendiville-Stowers and Bolivia Newton for pairing up with academics to judge this year's competition.

We look forward to announcing further details of our next National Secondary Schools’ Mooting Competition in the coming months, so stay tuned!