Prof A.T.H. (Tony) Smith - Associate Member

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Professor Tony Smith is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Government Relations) at Victoria University of Wellington, where he is also the Director of the New Zealand Centre for Public Law. He has had a distinguished academic career, principally in the United Kingdom where he was most recently Professor of Criminal and Public Laws at the University of Cambridge, Chairman of the Law Faculty, and a Fellow (now Life Fellow) of Gonville and Caius College.

Formerly Fellow and Tutor, Gonville and Caius College 1973-1981; Reader in Law (1981 - 1985 University of Durham and Dean of Faculty (1984). Professor of Law (1986-1990) University of Reading (Head of Department 1988-90).

He was the national Chairman of the Committee of Heads of University Law Schools, Consultant to the Law Commission on the Law of Corruption, Legal Adviser to the North Commission on Parades in Northern Ireland, Consultant to the European Directorate General on Fraud on the European Union, Member of the Advisory Group on the appeal of Abdul Basset Al Megrahi (Lockerbie bombing).

He remains a Tenant of the leading Media Law Chambers in London, 5 Raymond Buildings, where he worked principally in an advisory capacity. Cases included Douglas v Hello (breach of confidence and privacy) and Interbrew v Financial Times Ltd (journalistic sources).

He is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple.

  • Admission to the Bar:
    • 1990 - Called to the Bar of England and Wales
    • 1979 - Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
  • Academic Qualifications:
    • LLD Cambridge
    • LLM (Hons) Canterbury
    • Tapp Scholar, Gonville and Caius College (1972)
  • Visiting Professorships:
    • 2005 - Auckland University
    • 2004 - 2006 City of London University
    • 2001 - 2006 Universitē Panthēon Assas, Paris II, (Institut de Droit Comparē)
    • 1990 & 1991 University of Otago
    • 1988 - Northwestern University, Chicago
    • 1983 - University of Iowa
  • Publications: Books
    • Glanville Williams: Learning the Law (13th ed., 2006), 292pp.
    • With Sir David Eady, Arlidge, Eady and Smith, Contempt (3rd ed., 2005), 1251 pp, plus appendices (first supplement 2008) 56pp.
    • ed, (with A.P. Simester) Harm and Culpability (1996), 276 pp.
    • Property Offences: The Protection of Property Through the Criminal Law (1994), 1010 pp.
    • The Offences Against Public Order (1987), 314 pp.
    • Consultant to: D. Kirk and A.J.J. Woodcock, Serious Fraud: Investigation and Trial (1992).
  • Other appointments
    • 2007 - Editorial Boards VUWLR and NZJPIL
    • 2007 - Editorial Board, NZULR
    • 2007 - Member, New Zealand Council of Legal Education
    • 2004 - 2006 Advisory Board, Inns of Court School of Law (Middle Temple representative)
    • 2000 - 2006 Advisory Council, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
    • 1993 - 2006 Editorial Board, Cambridge Law Journal
    • 1986 - 2006 Editorial Board, Criminal Law Review (Book Review editor 2001-2006)
    • 1989 - 1995 Convenor, S.P.T.L. Criminal Law Group
    • 1987 - 1995 Vice President, International Association of Penal Law
    • 1992 - 1993 Higher and Further Education Council for England Quality Assessor (assessing Sussex and Oxford)
    • 1985 - 1993 Editorial Board, Consumer Credit Legislation
    • 1985 - 1989 Member of JUSTICE Committee, Miscarriages of Justice
    • 1986 - 1988 Chairman, British Association for Canadian Studies
    • 1985 - 1986 Co-Director, Computer Aided Legal Instruction Project (Computer Board and UGC Funded) Grant of £120,000
    • 1982 - 1986 Organiser, S.P.T.L. Criminal Law Group annual conferences (Leicester 1982, Bristol 1983, Edinburgh 1984, Birmingham 1985, London 1986)
Email : tony.smith@vuw.ac.nz
Direct Dial : +64 4 463 6309
Fax: +64 4 463 6367
Mobile : +64 21 243 6309