New Zealand Lawyer Not Reinstated
The Supreme Court of New Zealand has denied former lawyer Davina Reid’s latest attempt to be reinstated as a barrister and solicitor marking the final chapter in Reid’s prolonged effort to regain her legal status after being struck off in 2015.
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Reid’s disbarment arose from a 2011 incident where she smuggled contraband, including cigarettes and an iPhone, into prison for her client, Liam James Reid. Liam Reid was serving a life sentence with a 23-year non-parole period for the rape and murder of Emma Agnew in Christchurch in 2007.
The relationship between Davina Reid and Liam Reid became a professional relationship leading to their marriage at Paremoremo Prison in June 2017.
Since 2023, Reid has pursued various legal avenues to regain her status as a barrister and solicitor. Her applications were consistently rejected, first by a tribunal, then by the High Court in August 2023, and subsequently by the Court of Appeal.
In her final bid, Reid sought leave to appeal directly to the Supreme Court. She aimed to introduce arguments related to te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori tikanga, asserting that she had faced discrimination. However, the Supreme Court determined that Reid’s case was not an appropriate vehicle for considering tikanga issues and found no evidence of a miscarriage of justice.
The Supreme Court’s decision effectively closes the door on Reid’s attempts to return to legal practice, at least for the foreseeable future. Throughout her appeals, Reid has maintained a belief in Liam Reid’s innocence, a stance that has been noted in previous court proceedings.
it’s interesting to see how the supreme court sticks to their guns, refusing reinstatement even after years. it shows how serious the consequences are for breaking the rules, especially when it involves smuggling contraband for clients. makes you wonder if there’s room for redemption in the legal system or if some actions are just unforgivable.
Do you think the severity of the initial crime should weigh on the decision for reinstatement? It seems like a tough call between upholding legal integrity and allowing for personal growth post-mistake.
I noticed that Davina Reid’s actions in 2011 led to her disbarment. It really highlights the importance of maintaining professional ethics. Actions have consequences, and this scenario is a textbook case of how severe those consequences can be. Always interesting to see how these things unfold and the precedents they set.
hey, do you think there’s a lesson to be learned here for other lawyers? like, maybe not to smuggle stuff for clients, no matter how much they plead? seems like a hard way to learn something so basic.
One could argue that, while Davina Reid’s actions were indeed unethical, the perpetual denial of reinstatement raises questions about the legal system’s capacity for forgiveness and rehabilitation. It’s a complex issue, certainly, but it sparks an essential debate about second chances in the professional sphere.
Second chances sound great until someone takes that as an excuse to bend the rules again. Not sure the legal profession is where I’d start handing out mulligans.