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School of Law Number 17, November 2010 Newsletter A tribute to Professor John Burrows QC Strong Foundations From the Dean 2010 will be remembered multiples thereof. The LLB is a 480 point degree forever more as the year and, currently, LAWS 101 is worth 36 points. Next From the Editors of the earthquake. The year LAWS 101 will be worth 30 points and LAWS 110, This 17th edition of the University of Canterbury University of Canterbury 15 points. For some years now we, the staff, have School of Law Newsletter is late, for a very came through the been conscious of an ever increasing gap between shaky reason. In September, Christchurch emergency very well. The the level of attainment reached by school leavers suffered a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. university’s buildings in their last year of school and what is required Fortunately no one was killed and the proved themselves of them in their first year of university. We have University structural damage was largely structurally sound, there taken the opportunity afforded by the adoption superficial. However, the University was closed Richard Scragg were no injuries suffered of common course sizes to introduce at first year for two weeks and this affected all activities at and the only damage level, and for credit to the point value of the degree, Canterbury. was to internal fittings and equipment. In the end required training in the skills of legal research and Nonetheless, we managed to complete the we lost only one week of the timetable and staff legal writing. Both LAWS 101 and LAWS 110 will be year’s teaching and to get through an exam ensured that students were not prejudiced by the compulsory core courses for the LLB and students period which was somewhat more stressful shorteninging of term four. The School of Law must perform well in both of them to be eligible than usual. However, the prioritizing of other building fared well although staff had a great mess to be considered to be allowed to advance in matters meant that the Newsletter has really to clean up in their offices. The tiles in the foyer the degree. had to be the last off the rank. that were dislodged were promptly replaced and we As ever, members of staff have been busy with a We therefore apologise for the delay. hope that it will not be long and the damage to the wide range of activities over the year. Staff have plasterwork in the stair-wells will be repaired. The maintained their enviable reputation for research In spite of these challenges, once again, staff School of Law has been functioning normally since and publication. Many members have presented at the Law School have continued to excel at the students returned for the fourth term. papers at conferences right around the world. what they do best – teaching, research and Over the course of the year the university Staff have also been engaged in the public arena, administration. has undergone a substantial overhaul of its as is clear from the “Staff News” section of the Your Newsletter this year follows the familiar administrative structure. This has extended to the Newsletter. Debbie Wilson, who joined us last year, format, with reportage of continuing university library. Following the restructuring, Gail achieved great distinction when she was awarded achievements by alumni, students and staff, Pattie, the University Librarian, is retiring from the the 2009 Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal from both in New Zealand and overseas. We also university and Margaret Greville, the Law Librarian Monash University in Melbourne for her PhD thesis. bring you news of further publications, is moving to a different post in the library. I should Our staffing has remained stable over the year conferences, seminars, consultations, and the like to take this opportunity of acknowledging although we were sorry to see John Hughes retire continuing efforts of staff to fulfill their roles the contribution both Gail and Margaret have at the end of the first semester and Duncan Webb as critic and conscience of society. There are made to the School of Law and wider university resign to pursue a career in legal practice. We wish the usual gossip, comedy and reminiscences! during the terms of their offices here. Gail was both John and Duncan well for the years ahead. The cover this year is a photograph taken of Margaret’s predecessor as Law Librarian and a picture of Lord Parker of Waddington, Lord laid the groundwork for the outstanding work At the end of last year Bev Pearson and Jo-anne Chief Justice, which hangs in the Staff room of undertaken by Margaret in building our Law Library Morgan joined us as administrators and they the Law School. The picture was hanging on into the great repository of materials it is today. were followed by Joyce Heywood early this this angle on the Friday after the earthquake Gail takes with her the best wishes and gratitude of year. This gives us a full complement in our when law school staff were able to re-enter the all the staff of the School of Law, as she goes into administrative team. building. Inside this edition, Richard Scragg retirement. We look forward to continuing to work The students’ organisations continued to serve describes in more detail how the earthquake with Margaret as she embarks on her new role. their members well over the year. LAWSOC’s affected the School of Law. At the beginning of 2010 Jeremy Finn published President was Guy Carter and Ariana Te Momo Once again, we are extremely grateful for his history of the first one hundred years of the was Tumuaki of Te Putairiki. The Pacific PASS Team the many fascinating contributions you, our teaching of law at the University of Canterbury: assisted Pacific Island students with their studies. alumni, have made to this publication. “Educating for the Profession”. I commend this The Canterbury-Westland Branch of the New work to all readers of this Newsletter. It covers the Zealand Law Society has been very supportive Inevitably, we seek contributions from you all years 1873 – 1973 and brings to life the history of law throughout the year as have its individual for next year’s edition. Tell us about yourselves teaching in this university, with its many colourful members. I wish to express my thanks to all and your continuing careers and lives, whether characters. It is published by the Canterbury those practitioners who have assisted in various in New Zealand, or offshore. University Press. ways here at the School of Law over the year. We Contact Ursula at email: 2010 marks the end of an era for Law teaching look forward to their continued support in the [email protected] at Canterbury. All readers of this Newsletter year ahead. or will have begun their legal education grappling On behalf of the School of Law I send best wishes Editor with LAWS 101 The Legal System. For many years to all of our alumni. Over the year we have heard School of Law Newsletter success in this course has been a key determinant from many of you and I encourage you all to keep University of Canterbury in whether or not a student would be permitted in touch with us. We are proud of you and are Faculty of Law to progress to the next year of the degree. From always pleased to learn of your achievements. Private Bag 4800 next year, students will be confronted with two Richard Scragg CHRISTCHURCH Legal System courses: LAWS 101 and LAWS 110. Fax: 03 364 2757 This is a consequence of the university moving Visit the Law School Website at: to “common course sizes”, pursuant to which all www.laws.canterbury.ac.nz/ degree courses must have a value of 15 points or 1 Academic Staff Three members of staff were awarded their engineering to scientific research in Antarctica. suppress the illicit trade in tobacco held in March PhDs in the last year. Debbie Wilson’s thesis was During the same period she has written articles 2010 in Geneva. Prior to this he was an invited entitled: The legality of human cloning: an analysis on maritime safety in the Southern Ocean (2010 participant in two meetings of a Drafting Group in of the legal arguments for and against a ban on International Journal of Maritime Law 21 – 44) and October and the November 2009 held in Geneva reproductive cloning from a eugenics/human rights sovereignty in the Antarctic (2009 Yearbook of to work on the drafting of the provisions in the viewpoint (2010) and was awarded by Monash International Environmental Law, forthcoming). draft Protocol relating to crimes and penalties and University. Debbie was also awarded the 2009 She also presented an article on globalisation international procedural cooperation. Mollie Holman Doctoral Media from Monash for and international environmental law at the Four Neil has given a number of papers at international the best thesis of the year in her faculty. Ursula Societies Conference, Awaji, Japan in August 2010. conferences during this period. He was invited Cheer’s thesis was entitled: Reality and Myth: Karen was one of four ANZSIL members to be to give a paper at a Conference on the Control of The New Zealand media and the chilling effect of selected to present a paper at this event. Demand and Supply of Tobacco and International defamation law (2009). Cynthia Hawes’ thesis was Stephen Todd has written new chapters on Trade held jointly by the Taiwan Bureau of Health entitled: Tortious Interference with Goods in New “The Duty of Care” and “Remoteness of Damage” Promotion, Department of Health and Asian Zealand (2010).