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The 22nd Annual Medico Legal Congress 2025

23 - 24 February 2026 | Grand Millennium, Auckland

Navigating the ever-changing medico-legal landscape of Aotearoa

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Where law & medicine meet

Leading voices congregate across law, medicine, regulation, and policy to examine the complex interface between health policy, clinical practice, legislation, and ethics. Explore New Zealand’s latest health system reforms, including the Pae Ora Amendment Bill and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Learn how case law, coronial findings, and disciplinary proceedings are influencing both legal and clinical practice.

Get practical clarity on legal risks, regulatory compliance, and professional responsibilities while also engaging with the ethical challenges such as privacy, AI, workforce integration, and end-of-life care. 

Join us to navigate change, manage risk, and contribute to a fair, safe, and effective health system.

Essential themes requested by you

Court case deep dives

Review of recent Coroners Court proceedings and their implications for practice. Emerging trends in court and policy.

The Pae Ora Amendment Bill, Te Tiriti in health and recent HDC cases.

Supporting the workforce

Staffing and the Law: Navigating Obligations, Risks, and Industrial Challenges.

Integrating Physician Associates into the NZ Health System.

Reflecting on recent Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal Cases.

The future of medico-legal

How AI is being used in the NZ health system – risks and benefits with respect to patient privacy, organisation information and security.

End of Life Choice Act. Implications of The Police Mental Health Response Change Programme.

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Who should attend?

Healthcare leaders and practitioners

  • Doctors, nurses, and health professionals

  • Hospital, healthcare and clinical directors and medical managers

  • Healthcare compliance, and governance leads

Legal and regulatory professionals

  • Lawyers and barristers specialising in health, medical, or elder law

  • Legal advisors to hospitals, DHBs / Te Whatu Ora, and PHOs

Policy and governance professionals

  • Health policy makers and government officials

  • Board members and executives in clinical governance and committees

  • Academics in law, medicine, ethics, and public health

Sector associations

  • Legal and clinical professional and industry bodies

  • Patient advocacy groups

Venue

The location and how you can get there.

Address

Grand Millennium Auckland
71 Mayoral Drive, Cnr Vincent Street, Auckland 1010

Agenda

Agenda to be announced

8:00

Registration and coffee

08:50

Mihi Whakatau

9:00

Welcome remarks from the Chair

9:10

Ministerial Address: Outlining the Government’s strategic vision and priorities for the New Zealand health system

  • Outlining the Government’s strategic vision and priorities for the New Zealand health system

  • Overview of proposed legislative changes including health targets, infrastructure delivery and the health sector principles and health charter


9:20

Health Practitioners and the Coroners Court: Emerging Trends and Responsibilities

  • Review of recent Coroners Court proceedings and their implications for practice

  • Understanding the expectations and responsibilities of health practitioners when giving evidence in a coroner’s inquiry or inquest

  • How coronial findings influence both medical standards and legal processes

  • Emerging trends and issues affecting the intersection of the medical and legal communities


9:45

From Policy to Practice Panel: Understanding the Pae Ora Amendment Bill

  • Exploring the amendments to Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, examining structural changes and their impact on patients, providers, and communities

  • New requirements for health strategies and understanding the obligation to give effect to national health targets and what this means in practice

  • Implications for health care providers and assessing the risks, benefits, and operational challenges that come with the legislative changes

  • Analysing the impact of the proposed changes on health equity


10:30

Morning break

11:00

Embedding Te Tiriti in Health: From Principles to Practice

  • Giving meaningful effect to Te Tiriti in the New Zealand health care system and the role of health boards

  • The role of Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) and importance of local voices contributing to health decisions

  • Impact of the Pae Ora Amendment Bill on Māori health and communities


11:40

Safeguarding Privacy in the Age of AI: Risks and Benefits for New Zealand’s Health System

  • How the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and large language models (LLMs) are used in the New Zealand health system

  • The risks and benefits of AI and LLMs in in the context of sensitive patient or organisational information and the privacy code

  • How breaches of privacy can occur using these tools and implications for data storage and security


12:20

Lunch

13:20

Physician Associates in New Zealand: Integration to the New Zealand Healthcare Workforce

  • What is a Physician Associate? Role, purpose, and place in the healthcare team

  • Training requirements and scope of the role including clinical responsibilities, practice settings and education pathways

  • The impact of regulation for the profession including accountability, responsibility and patient safety


13:40

Physician Associates in New Zealand: Regulation, Roles, and Patient Safety

  • An overview of the proposed regulatory framework being developed for physician associates in New Zealand, and what this means for integration into the health workforce

  • Defining the scope of practice, how physician associates will work under supervision, and the pathways for education, training, and professional development

  • Ensuring patient safety remains central by clarifying responsibilities between physician associates, supervising doctors, and other health practitioners

  • Exploring the successes, challenges from international models to guide effective implementation in New Zealand.


14:15

From Regulation to Practice Panel: Integrating Physician Associates into the NZ Health System

  • Implementation and regulation, exploring how new regulations will shape the physician associate role in New Zealand.

  • Understanding scope, supervision and training including responsibilities, oversight responsibilities and professional development pathways

  • Ensuring safe practice and learning from experiences in the United Kingdom and United States of America


15:00

Afternoon Break

15:30

Staffing and the Law: Navigating Obligations, Risks, and Industrial Challenges

  • Staffing obligations, legal duties in hiring, rostering, and fair employment practices

  • Staffing challenges and legal risks including managing disputes and potential legal action

  • Navigating strikes and maintaining compliance during industrial action

  • Ensuring safe staffing levels and managing workplace risks


16:10

Forensic Pathology in Focus: Insights from Criminal and Civil Cases

  • How independent consultants support coroners and solicitors in interpreting medical evidence and strengthening medico-legal decision-making

  • Using international case examples to show how expert re-examination can reveal overlooked findings, prevent errors, and influence case outcomes.

  • The importance of collaboration, clear communication, and independent expertise in both criminal and civil medico-legal proceedings


16:50

Summary remarks from the Chair

17:00

Day 1 Close and Networking Drinks

8:00

Registration and coffee

9:00

Welcome back from the Chair

9:05

Health and Disability Commissioner Address: Lessons for the system from the work of the HDC

  • Reflecting on HDC cases over the last 12 months and identifying current challenges for healthcare practitioners and the public

  • Analysing trends in the complaints received by the HDC – what do these tell us about the key quality, safety and legal issues within New Zealand healthcare?

  • Identifying lessons for the system in the way they manage quality and safety and in the way they respond to incidents and complaints

Morag McDowell, Commissioner, Health and Disability Commission

9:45

Health Equity in Action Panel: Bridging Gaps in Access and Outcomes

  • Impact of practicing in a resource constrained environment on access to healthcare for vulnerable or disadvantaged populations

  • Understanding cultural safety and cultural competence for patient safety and health equity

  • Unpacking barriers to accessing health care and the systemic changes required for health equity


10:30

Morning break

11:00

Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal Cases in Review: Lessons for Safe and Compliant Practice

  • Reflection on HPDT cases over the past 12 months, highlighting trends and outcomes

  • Exploring issues faced by healthcare practitioners and the public in navigating professional standards and complaints processes

  • Practical insights on avoiding future complaints, improving professional practice, and maintaining patient trust.


11:40

Mental Health Response: The Police Mental Health Response Change Programme

  • Outlining the rollout of The Police Mental Health Response Change Programme

  • Understanding the phased approach, how changes are being implemented and where things are at

  • Implications for the health system and what it means for health care providers


12:20

Law Commission recommendations – Adults decision-making capacity

  • Understanding the current law under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act and recommendations for law reform

  • The impact of increased recognition of the human rights of people with disabilities and a lack in understanding of te Tiriti o Waitangi, te ao Maori and the multi-cultural nature of New Zealand within the law


13:00

Lunch

14:00

Withdrawing or Withholding Treatment: Rights and Responsibilities

  • Unpacking recent case law on the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment

  • Understanding the principles guiding decisions to withdraw or withhold treatment, including patient autonomy, consent, and professional obligations

  • Understanding the rights of patients, practitioners and health care providers


14:30

Unpacking the Legislation: End of Life Choice Act today

  • Exploring the End of Life Choice Act, the 2024 legislation review and where things are at today

  • Understanding the proposed changes to the Act and implications for practitioners, patients and their families

  • Examine gaps in current legislature and areas that require clearer guidance on process and implementation


15:00

Public Health Advocacy: Legal Requirements of Practioners Speaking in the Public Sphere

  • Exploring the requirements of medical professionals offering public advice and advocacy including gaining an initial review by Te Whatu Ora at a national level

  • Legal implications for practitioners regarding addition to the Pae Ora Amendment Bill requiring Te Whatu Ora staff to maintain political neutrality


15:30

AI in Aotearoa Health Care: Ethics, Equity, and Accountability

  • Exploring the opportunities and risks for the use of AI in healthcare in New Zealand and their complex legal and ethical considerations

  • Finding where AI can add value and efficiency in service delivery while maintaining accuracy and integrity

  • Understanding ethics in data collection, storage and Māori data sovereignty

  • Can AI improve equity in access and outcomes in healthcare?


16:00

Summary remarks from the Chair and Conference Close

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Speakers

Speakers to be announced

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Mihi Blair

General Manager, Māori Health and Equity, ProCare
ProCare
With over 15 years of experience, Mihi Blair serves as the Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori, Mana Taurite at ProCare Health Ltd., Aotearoa’s largest Primary Health Organisation. Her career focuses on driving positive change for Māori and Pacific communities through strategic management, advocacy, and fostering partnerships with iwi.   Mihi’s expertise spans community engagement, legislative navigation, and funding management, with leadership roles across sectors including health, housing, education, and social services. She serves on the board of Emerge Aotearoa Housing Trust and co-chairs Ngā Matapihi o Te Wairua – GPNZ Māori PHO Leaders Roopu.   Her involvement in the Vaping steering group and the Smokefree Oceania Conference highlights her commitment to equitable policies and community well-being. At ProCare, Mihi ensures the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi remain central to achieving better health outcomes for Māori and future generations.

Morag McDowell

Commissioner
Health and Disability Commission
Morag McDowell, Health and Disability Commissioner, began her term in September 2020. Morag took up the role after serving nearly 13 years as a Coroner based in Auckland. She was formerly a Crown Prosecutor, Director of Proceedings for the Health and Disability Commissioner’s Office, and a Senior Legal Adviser at Crown Law. Since completing her Master of Laws degree, her legal practice has had a strong focus on healthcare law, and she has appeared in different courts and tribunals on a variety of health-related litigation. She has also lectured and published on a range of medico-legal issues. Morag is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of health and disability services consumers where the Code sets the benchmark for good practice, and opportunities for learning and quality improvement are embraced. She strongly values the importance of fair, timely, transparent, and culturally appropriate processes where people are engaged, and given the opportunity to be heard.

Jaime King

John and Marylyn Mayo Chair in Health Law and Professor of Law
The University of Auckland
Professor King is an expert in numerous aspects of health law, policy, and reform.  Since arriving at the University of Auckland, Professor King’s research has explored issues at the intersection of population health, the environment, ethics, law and policy. She also continues to examine the ways that the law affects people’s health and access to affordable and equitable health care. For the last decade, her research has focused on the drivers of healthcare costs, with a special interest in market consolidation and efforts to improve transparency in healthcare pricing. This interest led her to co-find The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition (sourceonhealthcare.org), a multidisciplinary website designed to provide curated academic literature, court documents, regulatory and legislative materials, news, and analysis on healthcare price and competition in the United States.  Professor King’s work on healthcare price and competition has resulted in her being asked to testify before members of the U.S. House of Representatives and several state legislatures, as well as serve on a Technical Expertise Panel for the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr Ruth Large

Chief Clinical Officer
Whakarongorau Aotearoa/ New Zealand Telehealth Services
Ruth is a specialist emergency and rural hospital doctor. After graduating with her MBChB she worked in the outback of Australia before returning to Aotearoa to spend a short time in General Practice. Ruth completed her specialist emergency training in the Auckland area receiving Fellowship in 2007 and Fellowship to the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine in 2013. Ruth has held roles as an Emergency Physician and Rural Hospitalist for the Waikato District Health Board from 2007-2021 where she held successive roles as the Clinical Director of Thames ED, the Clinical Director of Thames Hospital and Community and the Clinical Director of Information Services and Virtual Healthcare. Ruth sees digital technology as playing a pivotal role in healthcare transformation and she has a particular focus on removing barriers to accessing healthcare, she holds postgraduate qualifications in both health services management and health informatics. Ruth was a founding member of the New Zealand Telehealth Forum and the Clinical Informatics Lead Network, she has been the Chair of the New Zealand Telehealth Leadership Group since 2017 and has been the Chief Clinical Officer for Whakarongorau Aotearoa/New Zealand Telehealth Services since 2021. Ruth continues to work clinically at Middlemore Hospital and in rural hospitals throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr Frances Matthews

Medicolegal advisor and GP
Dr Frances Matthews is a self-employed medicolegal advisor and GP. She qualified as a doctor in the UK in 1982 and has worked in hospitals and General Practice in the UK, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine in the subspeciality of medico legal advisor. She was called to the bar in Ireland in 2012 and has a Master’s degree in Bioethics and Health Law and a PhD and Masters in Law, all from the University of Otago. Her medicolegal practice involves mostly ACC matters. She has a special interest in the human rights of older adults and has been an external consultant for Age Concern Otago. She currently divides her time between locum GP work and medico legal work.

Samantha King

Medicolegal Consultant
Medical Protection Society

LT COL Bob Duncan

Chief Medical Officer
New Zealand Defence Force

LT CDR Jonathan Rowe

New Zealand Defence Force
Originally from Christchurch, Jonathan (Jono) obtained a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at the University of Otago. While at Otago, Jono was elected Vice President of the Otago University Students’ Association and served two terms on the University Council. As a member of the Appeals Board of the University Council, Jono’s experience included sitting on appeals relating to decisions by the Division of Health Sciences. After graduating in 2013, Jono embarked on a career as a legal officer in the NZDF and commissioned as an officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy. Since commissioning, Jono has served operationally in Antarctica, Asia and the Middle East. Jono’s postings in New Zealand have spanned tactical, operational and strategic headquarters. He has had roles in military prosecutions, operational law and personnel law and has appeared in the Coroner’s Court, Court Marital and Court Martial Appeals Courts, as well as counsel assisting courts of inquiry. His current role as Deputy Director of Legal Services (Personnel), includes responsibility for legal advice to the Defence Health Directorate.

Dr. Erik Monasterio

Consultant in Forensic Psychiatry
Orko
I am a specialist in Forensic Psychiatry with 25 years’ experience, having worked in the public health system from 1992 to 2021. I was the Clinical Director and Director of Area Mental Health Services for the Canterbury District Health Board’s Regional Forensic Service between 2014 and 2021. I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer with the Christchurch School of Medicine. My main research interests include legal and ethical implications of the incarceration of mentally disordered people, assessment and impact of personality factors and stress responses in extreme athletes and criminal offenders, performance under extreme stress, appropriate and inappropriate use of psychiatric medications, and the effects of trade agreements on health. In my work as a forensic psychiatrist, I am involved in the medico-legal assessment and treatment of some of the country’s highest profile offenders.

Ellie Wilson

Partner
Govett Quilliam
Ellie has a particular interest and expertise in all areas of health law including ACC processes, complaints and investigations, civil claims, professional disciplinary processes, and privacy matters. She has worked from almost all angles in this space including for patients, practitioners, regulators, and insurers. Her broad experience provides a holistic and practical approach to health care matters. Stemming from her passion in health law, Ellie hosts a quarterly medico-legal discussion group open to anyone interested in the intersection between health and the law. Ellie has extensive and broad litigation experience, appearing in a range of jurisdictions from Tribunal level to the Court of Appeal. She also works within our Family Team, providing advice and expertise on relationship property matters. In 2023, Ellie was recognised by NZ Lawyer as a Top Female Lawyer in New Zealand in the Elite Women category

Olivia Lund

Partner
Duncan Cotterill
Olivia is a partner at Duncan Cotterill Lawyers where she leads one of New Zealand’s largest health and safety and medico legal teams with lawyers across the country. She acts for clients in a range of sectors and industries and is recognised for her work acting in complex workplace incidents, regulatory investigations, coronial inquiries, professional complaints and discipline, and defending regulatory prosecutions. Olivia supports clients to minimise the impacts of an adverse incident whilst preserving the reputation, integrity, and relationships of all interested parties.

Nick Laing

Partner
Duncan Cotterill
Nick is a medico-legal expert. Nick acts for health service providers and health practitioners alike in health practitioner discipline and negligence claims (including before the Coroner, Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, Health and Disability Commissioner, Privacy Commissioner and Ombudsmen). Nick also regularly advises on medico-legal aspects including duty of care, patient consent, privacy and treatment issues, and applied aspects of intensivist treatment.

Catherine Deans

Senior Associate
Dentons
Catherine is a Special Counsel in Dentons’ specialist Health Law team. She has over a decade of medico-legal experience with extensive understanding of the health system. She advises clients on a wide range of legal issues relevant to the provision of healthcare, including privacy and management of information; complaints and HDC processes; and treatment, ethics and consent issues. Catherine regularly prosecutes and defends health practitioners before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal; and she appears at various levels of courts, including at coronial inquests.

Sharon Shea

Tumu Whakarae|CEO
Shea, Pita and Associates
Sharon is passionate about achieving equity, resilience and oranga1 for populations and as an indigenous wāhine2 of Aotearoa New Zealand, she is a long-time advocate of indigenous peoples’ rights and the achievement of intergenerational wellbeing.   Sharon graduated from Oxford University at the top of her class with an MSc in Comparative Social Policy (Distinction)3. She also has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from Auckland University. Sharon began her career in 1993 as a lawyer and then moved into the health sector where she held a range of senior management roles in government and non-government organisations focussed on Māori4 health improvement. In 2000, Sharon worked in the NHS (England) and completed postgraduate studies. Since her return to New Zealand in 2002, Sharon has run a successful consulting business (Shea Pita and Associates Ltd).

Iris Reuvecamp

Principal
Vida Law
Iris is a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Iris has been practising as a health and disability law specialist for more than twenty years both as in-house counsel and as an external advisor and advises a range of public and private health and disability sector organisations. Iris is a clinico-legal specialist, with a strong human rights focus, and an interest in the law as it relates to adults with affected decision-making capacity, mental health, aged care, and disability. Iris appears regularly in a range of courts and tribunals including the Human Rights Review Tribunal, Coroners Court, Family Court, District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Iris is a court appointed lawyer for the subject person under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988, lawyer for the child and acts as lawyer to assist the Family Court. Iris is an Affiliate of the Law Faculty and a Senior Professional Practice Fellow at the University of Otago and teaches on health and disability law. Iris has published on a range of topics relevant to health and disability law. Iris is co-editor of Mental Capacity Law in New Zealand (Thomson Reuters, Wellington, 2019), and editor of Brookers Family Law — Incapacity (online looseleaf ed, Thomson Reuters), PPPR Act & Analysis (Thomson Reuters, Wellington,3rd edition, 2023) and Mental Health Act & Analysis (Thomson Reuters, Wellington, 1st edition, 2023). Iris was awarded a Borrin Foundation Women Leaders in Law Fellowship in 2022 to work on a text entitled Death, Dying and the Law, to be published in 2025. Iris is a trustee of Ashburn Clinic, a trustee of the Masonic Villages Trust and independent director of Masonic Villages Limited and Masonic Care Limited. Iris is the immediate past Chair of the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology and current Chair of the WHO Compliance Panel for Implementing and Monitoring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: The Code in New Zealand.

Kate Diesfeld

Professor of Law
Auckland University of Technology
Professor Kate Diesfeld was an Alaskan Court Investigator and lawyer for people with disabilities at California’s Protection and Advocacy, Inc. She held academic roles at Kent Law School (England), the University of Waikato (NZ) and Auckland University of Technology (NZ). Kate was Director of the National Centre for Health Law and Ethics and Chair of AUT’s Ethics Committee. Before England’s Mental Health Review Tribunal, she represented clients.  She co-edited Involuntary Detention and Therapeutic Jurisprudence (2003) and Elder Law in New Zealand (2014).  Editorial roles were with Journal of Legal Medicine, LAWS, plus Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. She is a Fellow of the American College of Legal Medicine, Convenor of the Law Association’s Mental Health and Disability Sub-Committee and on the Advisory Committee of  Auckland Disability Law (community law centre). Kate is researching policing with disabled people, assisted dying services and elder law. She is a Co-PI on the Marsden Fund study “A rehabilitation model for professional discipline.  

Christine Anderson

Registrar
Medical Council of New Zealand

Lizzie Masters

Deputy Registrar
Medical Council of New Zealand

Theo Baker

Chair
New Zealand Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal

Beatrix Woodhouse

Barrister
Beatrix Woodhouse

Beatrix is a Wellington based barrister who joined the independent bar in 2022 following private practice. Beatrix has extensive experience in medico-legal matters with a particular focus in ACC cases.  Beatrix has a broad range of litigation experience, which includes appearances in the District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, Coroner’s Court and various specialist tribunals.

Beatrix holds a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Laws and a Postgraduate Diploma in Bioethics and Health Law. Beatrix is a board member of the Wellington Medico-Legal Society as well as a board member of the Mesothelioma Support and Awareness Trust. Beatrix is an author of Westlaw’s “Health and Safety Law” packages.

Beatrix holds legal aid approvals for civil and family proceedings and also undertakes a proportion of pro bono work

Olivia Kelly

Senior Lecturer
Auckland University of Technology
Olivia is an academic and practising lawyer. In her previous role at Auckland Disability Law she advocated for people with disabilities. In her private practice, she continues to work with people with disabilities in her appointments as Counsel for the Subject Person in PPPR proceedings. Olivia is also a senior lecturer at AUT in the School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies. She teaches health law and policy to students entering clinical and non-clinical health settings. Her research interests include disability, capacity, medico-legal rights, digital harm within health, and professional practice.

Workshop

Workshop to be announced

Separately Bookable Workshop

POST CONFERENCE

The intersection of capacity, consent, and documentation: Legal implications and protections for patients and providers

25 February 2025 | 3.15 PM - 6.00 PM

In this workshop you will dive into:

  • The importance of informed consent, patient capacity, and accurate documentation in medico-legal practice
  • Key legal frameworks in New Zealand and international guidelines
  • Understanding Capacity in Medical Decision-Making
  • Informed Consent: Legal and Ethical Considerations
  • Core principles of informed consent: autonomy, voluntariness, and understanding
  • How to obtain valid consent from patients with diminished capacity
  • Special considerations for obtaining consent from vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and those with cognitive impairments
  • The role of documentation in protecting the providers and patients
  • Legal importance of thorough and accurate documentation in the informed consent process
  • How documentation can provide legal protection in cases of disputed consent or capacity
  • Best practices for documenting consent discussions, capacity assessments, and any involvement of surrogate decision-makers
  • Ethical dilemmas at the intersection of Capacity, Consent, and Documentation
  • Legal protections afforded to healthcare providers when capacity assessments, consent, and documentation are done properly
  • How to mitigate risk through proactive legal and ethical approaches
  • Role of legal counsel and ethics committees in complex case
Buy workshop ticket

Iris Reuvecamp

Principal

Vida Law

Sponsors

Sponsors to be announced

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