Twelve of over 100 applicants make up 2026 King’s Counsel cohort

The New Zealand Bar Association | Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o Te Ture and the New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa also congratulated the 12 barristers on their appointments. 

“We also acknowledge all those who applied for the rank,” the bar association’s news release stated. “This year's applications showed the depth of talent at the Aotearoa New Zealand independent bar.” 

The government’s news release provided more information on the new King’s Counsel. 

Matanuku Mahuika

• practice areas: corporate, commercial, Treaty of Waitangi, Māori land, trust, and administrative law issues 
• experience: Bankside Chambers and Kahui Legal 
• organisational involvement: past president of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa 
• bar admission: 1991 
• education: Victoria University of Wellington 

Karen Radich

• practice area: employment law 
• experience: Clifton Chambers and Minter Ellison Rudd Watts 
• bar admission: 1994
• education: University of Auckland and three other New Zealand universities 

Janette Campbell

• practice areas: resource management and environmental law 
• experience: Bankside Chambers and Meredith Connell 
• organisational involvement: past chair of an expert advisory group on resource management reform 
• bar admission: 1995 
• education: University of Auckland 

Matthew Harris

• practice areas: commercial litigation, insurance, construction, professional liability, and class actions 
• experience: Shortland Chambers and Gilbert Walker 
• bar admission: 1997 
• education: University of Auckland and New York University 

Kirsten Gray

• practice area: criminal law 
• experience: Walker St. Chambers, Gresson Dorman, Meredith Connell, Public Defence Service, and the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda 
• bar admission: 1998 
• education: Otago University 

Tim Smith

• practice area: civil litigation 
• experience: Thorndon Chambers, Luke Cunningham Clere, and Bell Gully 
• bar admission: 1998 
• education: Otago University and University of Cambridge 

Polly Pope

• practice area: commercial litigation 
• experience: Bankside Chambers and Russell McVeagh 
• organisational involvement: a fellow of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand and co-founder of Women in Restructuring and Insolvency 
• bar admission: 1999 
• education: University of Otago 

Kerry Cook

• practice area: criminal law 
• experience: Bridgeside Chambers 
• bar admission: 2002 
• education: University of Canterbury 

Sam Lowery

• practice areas: criminal, commercial, and regulatory matters 
• experience: Bankside Chambers, Meredith Connell, and the International Criminal Court 
• bar admission: 2004 
• education: University of Auckland 

Rob Kirkness

• practice areas: international, commercial, and public law 
• experience: Thorndon Chambers 
• bar admission: 2006 
• education: University of Auckland 

Isaac Hikaka

• practice areas: civil litigation, trusts and equity, relationship property, public and constitutional law, sports law, and election issues 
• experience: Mills Lane Chambers and LeeSalmonLong 
• bar admission: 2006 
• education: University of Auckland 

Annabel Maxwell-Scott

• practice area: criminal law 
• experience: Sentinel Chambers, Public Defence Service, deputy solicitor-general of the Cook Islands 
• bar admission: 2010 

Prior King’s Counsel appointments

The 2025 cohort of silks comprised Cassie Nicholson, Brian Dickey, Tiana Epati, Kevin Glover, Katie Hogan, Sarah Jerebine, Paul Keegan, Simon Ladd, Richard Marchant, Balthazar Matheson, Matthew Smith, and Alan Webb. 

The 2024 batch of silks included Philip Joseph, Wendy Aldred, Katherine Anderson, Sarah Armstrong, Douglas Ewen, Sally Gepp, Daniel Kalderimis, Zane Kennedy, Alanya Limmer, Kelly Quinn, Philip Shamy, Todd Simmonds, Timothy Stephens, Christopher Stevenson, Robert Stewart, Nura Taefi, Anne Toohey, Samuel Wimsett, and Garry Williams. 

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