Like many in our profession, we believe that justice should be available to all, and we’re willing to help make that happen.
Our commitment to our wider community includes assistance through limited retainers and alternate fee arrangements as well as volunteering and contributing to professional development activities within the legal profession.
Some of our recent pro bono and public interest litigation efforts include:
- acting for Lawyers for Climate Action NZ in its successful judicial review of the Minister of Climate Change’s decision to set the Climate Change (Auctions, Limits, and Price Controls for Units) Amendment Regulations 2022 which set the number of additional Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) units available over the next five years and imposed various price restrictions
- acting for the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand in two appeals against mining interests and in a High Court judicial review relating to the Paparoa National Park management plan
- acting for Lawyers for Climate Action NZ in its judicial review of the Climate Change Commission
- advising and representing three regional orchestras opposing a proposed restructuring of Radio New Zealand Concert
- acting for an individual in obtaining an order for the sale and division of a jointly-owned investment property following a relationship breakdown
- assisting an individual challenging decisions made by Government agencies in relation to an overseas adoption
- acting as independent lawyers providing assistance to those participating in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care which is looking into what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care in Aoteoroa New Zealand between the years 1950-1999
Our contribution to the profession and the community in other ways also includes:
- membership of Law Society committees and professional associations
- contributing to continuing legal education through presenting at seminars and conferences
- university tutoring and mentoring
- membership of Te Ara Ture – the Pro Bono Legal Service
- one of the sponsors of the Te Kuhunga scholarships supporting students from decile 1-4 schools in their first year at law school
- as of December 2023, Gilbert Walker is a certified “net carbonzero” organisation by Toitū Envirocare. This means that the firm is committed to managing and reducing its emissions, measuring emissions to a specified standard, and compensating for its emissions (through investment in carbon credit projects). Gilbert Walker is developing emissions reduction targets against which its emissions will be measured going forward. Our certification summary may be accessed here.
