The Law Down Under Podcast

E25 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion: A Pasifika Perspective - With Dr Mele Vaitohi

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we are joined by Dr Mele Vaitohi, a leading legal scholar on Tongan constitutional law.  Mele has had an extensive career in law and Government, and is the Manager of New Zealand Parliament’s Parliamentary Law and Practice Team. She recently completed her PhD in Law at Otago University, where she focused on the effects of the 2010 constitutional reform in Tonga.
In December 2022, Dr Vaitohi collaboratively published a groundbreaking research report on Improving Pasifika Legal Education in Aotearoa. We talk with Mele about the findings of the report, particularly the barriers affecting access to legal education for Pasifika students, as well as how schools, universities and the wider profession can improve the experience of Pasifika peoples.  We also briefly discuss the complex issue of intersectionality being the interconnected relationship of social categorisations (such as race and social-economic status) as applied to Pasifika as a group. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Mele Vaitohi.
Suggested further reading:
Brooks, Jeffrey S. and Theoharis, George (2018) "Whiteucation: Privilege, Power and Prejudice in School and Society". Routledge. (Link)
Melville, Angela (2014) "Barriers to Entry into Law School: An Examination of Socio-Economic and Indigenous Disadvantage". Legal Education Review, Vol. 24 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. (Link)
Pease, Bob (2022) "Undoing Privilege: Unearned Advantage and Systemic Injustice in an Unequal World". Bloomsbury Publishing.
Rivera, Lauren A (2015) "Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs". Princeton University Press. (Link)
Tharp, D. Scott (2021) "Decoding Privilege: Exploring White College Students' Views on Social Inequality". Routledge. (Link)
Verkaik, Robert (2018) "Posh Boys (How English Public Schools Ruin Britain)". Oneworld.

E24 Sports Law - With Aaron Lloyd

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we are joined by Aaron Lloyd, a partner at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. Aaron specialises in trial advocacy, white-collar criminal and regulatory affairs, employment law, and sports law. Aaron is recognized as one of the Asia-Pacific’s top sports lawyers, and recently received Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year Award 2023 for Sports Law. He has affiliations with several esteemed organisations, including the Legal Research Foundation, the American Bar Association, and the Auckland Medico-Legal Society. He also serves on the Panel of Pro-Bono Counsel for the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand. Today we talk to Aaron about his involvement in sports law and how the sporting industry is regulated both at international and national level.  We also discuss the roles played by WADA, the Sports Tribunal and the Court of Arbitration for Sport as well as several other sports-related issues. I hope you enjoy this episode with Aaron Lloyd.

E23 The Internet and the Law - With Arran Hunt

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Arran Hunt, a partner at Stace Hammond.
Arran is an expert in immigration law, technology law, internet law and social media. He has a passion for helping people to protect themselves online and to understand how the laws of the digital world impact them. He is a Board Member of the Dignity Freedom Network, a non-profit organization focused on improving access to education and restoring dignity and freedom to marginalized children and women. In 2021, Arran was awarded as a Top Diverse Board-Ready Director by the Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business.
Today, we talk to Arran about the law of the internet and social media. We consider the types of threats that exist online and whether New Zealand’s current legal framework is sufficient to keep up with the ever-developing world of technology. We also discuss advances in technology that affect lawyers and how individuals and businesses can protect themselves online. I hope you enjoy this episode with Arran Hunt.

E22 Access to Civil Justice - With Dr Bridgette Toy-Cronin

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Dr Bridgette Toy-Cronin, an expert in the legal profession, civil procedure and access to justice. She is passionate about improving access to the civil justice system, and researches issues pertaining to litigants, dispute resolution design, and socio-legal methods for civil justice research. Bridgette has a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, and is a Senior Lecturer at Otago University, where she teaches undergraduate programmes in The Legal System, as well as Lawyers, Clients and the Profession. She is also the Director of the Civil Justice Centre and a Co-Director of the Otago Centre for Law and Society. We talk to Bridgette about supporting people to access the justice system, as well as the future of dispute resolution processes and spaces. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Bridgette Toy-Cronin.

E21 Body Image Law - With Dr Marilyn Bromberg

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under podcast, we interview Dr Marilyn Bromberg, Director Higher Degrees (Coursework) at the University of Western Australia Law School. Marilyn has a PhD from Murdoch University and is an expert on health law, social media, and body image law. She has previously spoken on many noteworthy institutions such as Harvard University and the Supreme Court of Canada, and in 2017 received Blackstone Society’s Teacher of the Year Award. Today we dive into the topic of body image law and the approaches being taken to body image issues Down Under and throughout the world. We also consider what further reform needs to take place and how we as individuals can help those suffering from body image issues. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Marilyn Bromberg.

E20 Regulation of Therapeutic Goods and Medical Devices - With Dr Marco Rizzi

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Dr Marco Rizzi, an expert in health law, therapeutic goods and medical devices. Marco is Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the University of Western Australia Law School, where he teaches Torts, Health Law and Policy, and Risk Regulation. He has a PhD, and Master’s Degrees in Civil and Comparative Law from the European University Institute and the University of Pisa. We discuss Marco’s career before diving into the regulation of therapeutic goods and medical devices in Australia. We consider how the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Australia’s main regulatory authority – performs its role in approving and regulating therapeutic goods and medical devices. We also consider the mass litigation surrounding some of these products.  I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Marco Rizzi.

E19 Modern Slavery - With Dr Martijn Boersma

On today’s episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Dr Martijn Boersma, an expert on modern slavery. Martijn has a PhD in Management from the University of Technology Sydney and Master’s Degrees in Science and Arts from the University of Amsterdam. He currently works as an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame. We discuss Martijn’s current research and the postgraduate programs he teaches on modern slavery and human trafficking. We also examine efforts to combat modern slavery and consider what future reform in this area might look like. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Martijn Boersma.

E18 Social Enterprises, Impact Investing, and Podcasting - With Steven Moe

On today’s episode of The Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Steven Moe, a partner at Parry Field Lawyers. Steven is a commercial law expert and is passionate about empowering impact. He is the host and founder of the Seeds Podcast and a creator of the Impact Unconference. We talk with Steven about his specialty areas of law and consider how enterprises and investors are bringing about positive change. We then discuss the Impact Unconference and his experiences in podcasting. I hope you enjoy this episode with Steven Moe.

E17 Corporate Insolvency - With Hon Paul Heath QC

On today’s episode of The Law Down Under Podcast, we interview the Honourable Paul Heath QC, who specialises in insolvency law. Paul was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1998.  He has served as a Law Commissioner as well as a New Zealand High Court Judge for 16 years. He is currently a member of Bankside Chambers in Auckland and Singapore.  He is also an Associate at South Square in London, where he practises as an arbitrator and mediator in domestic and international disputes. We discuss Paul’s expansive career before delving into his specialist area of insolvency law, focusing particularly on cross-border insolvency. We review some of the mechanics of corporate insolvency and conclude by evaluating New Zealand’s approach to cross-border insolvency. I hope you enjoy this episode with Paul Heath QC.

E16 Justice and Legal Apps - With Profs Bin Li and Tania Sourdin

On today's episode of the Law Down Under Podcast, we interview Profs Bin Li and Tania Sourdin from the University of Newcastle Law School. Prof Li is an expert on all things law and technology, working to shed light on how new technologies are used within the justice sector and how they impact dispute resolution processes. Prof Sourdin is the Dean and Head of Law School, and has had an extensive career focusing on justice, litigation, conflict avoidance and dispute resolution. In this episode, we discuss how these interests were sparked and the sort of technology that is being introduced into the justice sector. We take a look at justice apps and what they really offer for the legal industry, for self-represented litigants and legal education, as well as what their limitations may be. Finally, we discuss where Profs Li and Sourdin see the future of digital technology use in the justice sector going. This is an unmissable episode for all those interested in the role technology plays in the justice system. I hope you enjoy this episode with Profs Bin Li and Tania Sourdin.