About Criminal Bar Association New Zealand
The CBA has been advocating for its members on current issues, including Covid, MOJ industrial action, legal aid, name suppression and prisoner conditions.
The CBA was formed in 1984 to further and promote the practice of criminal law in New Zealand. Although originally the CBA focused more on collegiality and social events amongst practitioners, we quickly began to take an active role in law reform issues, particularly in such areas as legislative change, individual rights and freedoms, and prison reform.
In recent years the CBA has taken an active role in challenging many of the changes to provision of legal aid services, and have been at the forefront of negotiation, and latterly litigation, in our efforts to ensure that access to justice is properly maintained and to ensure the preservation of a strong, high quality independent bar in New Zealand. As a direct result of our efforts in this area, our membership has increased significantly, and we are pleased and proud to represent the interests of criminal lawyers (and their clients) throughout New Zealand.
Members of the CBA include defence lawyers, prosecutors, judges and academics whose area of expertise and interest is our criminal justice system.
The Criminal Bar Association of New Zealand ("CBA") is an incorporated society. The objects of the Association are, inter alia:
- To promote fellowship and mutual support for those with a practice or an interest in the criminal law;
- To promote amongst the public and practitioners knowledge and reform of the criminal law;
- To promote any other activities consistent with the spirit of the above;
- To affiliate with and maintain connections with international associations with similar objects;
- To promote proper conduct at the criminal bar
The Association is governed by an Executive Committee, comprised of a President, two Vice-Presidents and Committee members. The current committee members can be viewed here.