Legal Research Foundation

Promoting the highest calibre of legal education and research in New Zealand.

The Legal Research Foundation AGM

We were delighted to hear from the Solicitor-General, Anna Adams KC, who spoke at this year's Legal Research Foundation AGM held on 3rd September 2026.

Ms Adams took up the role in May as New Zealand's 18th Solicitor-General, succeeding Una Jagose KC after her decade in the position. This will be one of the first opportunities for the profession to hear from her since her appointment — and it comes at a moment of genuine public interest in the constitutional role of the Crown and the courts in interpreting the law.

As the Crown's principal legal adviser and the junior Law Officer, the Solicitor-General occupies a distinctive place in our constitutional arrangements, with a particular responsibility to uphold the rule of law. The address looked at the Crown’s “default” method of statutory interpretation and common law development, as implemented through the office of the Solicitor-General, and the jurisprudential and practical reasons for this approach.

""Black letter law: the Crown and the orthodox view

Future Events:

The popular Brown Bag series is returning in early October with 4 sessions to be announced shortly. Look out for updates.

Upcoming evening Masterclass seminar - AI, Law and Society on 22nd October 2026. Further details on registering to follow.

New Zealand Law Review

We would like to update you on some important changes relating to the New Zealand Law Review. Following many years of self-publishing the Review, the Legal Research Foundation has decided that the time is right to transition to a new approach to secure the future of the Review and we are pleased to be partnering with Thomson Reuters in this endeavour.

To read the full update please go to the New Zealand Law Review page.

2025 Writing Awards are now closed, the 2026 Writing Awards will reopen in November 2026.