Join us for an engaging and interactive Q&A session at Simpson Grierson with:
The Hon Sir Mark Cooper KNZM, KC — Sir Mark was appointed to the High Court in 2004 and to the Court of Appeal in 2014, serving as President of the Court of Appeal from 2022 until his retirement from the judiciary in late 2024. Sir Mark is currently practising as an arbitrator at Bankside Chambers. Before joining the bench, Sir Mark was a leading resource management and local government lawyer.
The Hon Justice Melanie Harland — Justice Harland practised in civil litigation, including resource management and administrative law, before her appointment as a District Court Judge in 2007 and as a full-time Environment Court Judge in 2009. She was appointed to the High Court in 2021 and is based in Christchurch. Justice Harland also sits on the Divisional Court of Appeal.
This is the third session in an interactive professional development series run by RMLA. Previous sessions have traversed the "good" and the "bad" practices for council level hearings, and insights from those deeply involved in the Fast Track process.
This session turns to the Senior Courts. Sir Mark and Justice Harland will draw on their judicial experiences hearing resource management cases on judicial review and appeal, offering a view from the bench on what works (and what doesn’t) when matters reach the High Court and Court of Appeal. The session is directed not only at counsel - the "good," the "bad," and the judicial bugbears - but equally at expert witnesses, and what makes for good evidence if a matter ends up before the Senior Courts.
Whether you are a lawyer, planner, or expert witness, we encourage you to come geared with questions for this "conversational style" session.
To encourage open and frank discussion, the Chatham House Rule will apply. In addition to questions from the floor, attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance for the panel's consideration by emailing us by Friday 17 July 2026.
Spaces for this in person only session are limited — register now to secure your place. Doors open at 5.30pm with the discussion running from 6pm-7pm.